Bhubaneswar, July 23: Work has begun again to reopen the clogged mouth of the Mangala river to facilitate the discharge of its water into the Bay of Bengal near Puri.

Artatran Sahu, executive engineer of the water resources department, said: "Last year, we had dredged the mouth for a length of 195 metres and a width of almost 50 to 60 metres. But, the river mouth closed again following heavy siltation and advancement of the tidal waves."

Sahu added: "If dredging is not done at regular intervals, the river mouth will close. It will create waterlogging. We have begun the work to unclog the river mouth and will take a few more days to complete the dredging."

The department has also put bamboo barricades near the river mouth to check siltation. Sahu said that if the silt was not dredged out from the river mouth, discharge of water into the sea would become problematic. "If the water is not released, large amounts of rainwater from areas of Puri district, including Sakhig-opal, Brahmagiri and Puri Sadar, will have no outlet into the sea. Because of no discharge of rainwater, a flood-like situation would be created in parts of Puri and its adjoining areas."

The Mangala river is part of the Mahanadi river system. The river originates near Puri as a branch of the Bhargavi, a tributary of the Mahanadi. Besides drainage water, the city's sewage and wastewater is also released through the river.

Officials said earlier that it had been noticed that if the river mouth was not opened, the river changed its course.

"We noticed how the river had changed its course and created another mouth about 100 metres away. This affected the beach in Puri and caused coastal erosion," he said, adding that it had forced the government to take the help of IIT-Madras to suggest ways to overcome the situation.

Following the suggestion of the IIT experts, the state government is now re-opening the Mangala river mouth. "We did it last year and are doing so again," said an official of the water resources department.

Beach Protection Council president Jagannath Bastia said: "Efforts should be on to stop encroachment of land near any river bank and on the beach."

In another development, the Puri district administration has issued an order to stop construction of all apartment buildings on the Musha river bed till August 8. "Until the inquiry is completed into the alleged construction of apartments on the river bed, no construction can be undertaken," said an official.