Jeypore: The historic dredging operation at Jagannath Sagar has resumed. After the ceremonial puja, the silt has been removed from the lake. In this phase, about 100 acres of sediment will be cleared. Approximately 4.46 lakh cubic meters of silt will be removed, with the administration aiming to complete the work within 6 months. The estimated cost for this project is around 7.12 crore rupees.
In the event held near the Saurasahi Ghat this morning, MLA Taraprasad Bahinapti attended as the chief guest. The event was also attended by Mayor Narendra Kumar Mahanti, District Collector Kirti Bhusan, Executive Officer A. Shashya Reddy, and Additional Executive Officer Kribasa Sahu, among other distinguished guests. After the puja, the dredging work officially began. MLA Bahinapti stated that after the lake’s restoration work is completed, further discussions would be held in the coming months.
A total of 4.46 lakh cubic meters of sediment will be removed from 100 acres of the lake. The dredging work has started and is promised to be completed without any shortage of funds. The required finances will be arranged for beautification purposes. The work has officially commenced as per the promise.
The total expenditure for this project is 7.12 crore rupees, with the work expected to be completed within 6 months.
District Collector Kirti Bhusan mentioned that a tender for approximately 9.45 crore rupees had been floated for the dredging work. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi assured that the work will certainly be completed as per the schedule. Priority will be given to removing sediment before the monsoon season starts, with operations to continue 24 hours a day.
Councillors Vishnubbadhan Reji, Rabindra Kumar Sahu, Municipal Engineer Ajay Kumar Jani, Pratap Chandra Acharya, and other workers and officials participated in the event. According to information from the Municipal Administration, approval has been granted to dredge about 147 acres of the lake. In the first phase, silt and soil from approximately 47 acres have already been relocated. The current work involves removing 4.46 lakh cubic meters of silt from 100 acres of the lake. The project is scheduled to be completed within 180 days, with the majority of the work expected to be done by June 15. After the monsoon season begins, dredging work will be suspended.
For transport, nearly 200 machines will be employed. New drainage systems will be installed, ensuring that water from the lake will not spill over. Water coming from Hanaguda will be stored in unused fish ponds.
It is noteworthy that the lake’s dry-up operation started on November 9, 2023. The previous government had approved a budget of 14.84 crore rupees for dredging and soil removal under the “My Pond Scheme.” This is the first time that HDPE dredging machines have been used for this operation. After the change in government, funding issues caused the dredging work to be paused for the past 8 months.