Vanishing land: Kendrapara's battle with coastal erosion

Large swathes of Kendrapara district are under threat as coastal erosion, driven by rising sea levels and climate change, continues to eat away at the land, displacing communities, damaging forests, and endangering cultural heritage.

- POST NEWS NETWORK

On June 25, during the new moon, seawater surged past the shoreline and entered Tand village under Mahakalapada block, raising concerns over accelerating coastal erosion. The situation has become dire along nearly 28 km of the 48 km-long Bay of Bengal coastline in Kendrapara district.

In Satabhaya, almost 40 metres of shoreline vanished within the past year alone. The iconic centuries-old Pan-chubarahi Temple in Rajnagar block has seen its surroundings transformed, with fears looming that the nearby Barahipur village may vanish during this monsoon. The advancing sea now threatens the coastal Sunei-Rupei forest.