Paralakhemundi: time back the people of Paralakhemundi made some really big lakes to store water. The king of Paralakhemundi at that time built these lakes. The lakes are named Ram Sagar, Krishna Sagar, Sita Sagar and Gajapati Sagar. The king of Paralakhemundi wanted to help the farmers of Paralakhemundi by giving them water for the fields of the farmers of Paralakhemundi.
He also wanted to stop the floods, in Paralakhemundi and give the people of Paralakhemundi water to drink from the lakes of Paralakhemundi.
These lakes were all connected to each other and to the Mahendratanaya River. When the river had much water it would fill up the lakes. Then the water would go to the fields. Help the farmers. After that the extra water would go back into the river.. Now the people in charge do not care about these lakes. They are just letting them get worse and worse.
The state government said they would help fix Ram Sagar, Krishna Sagar and Gajapati Sagar. They would give them some money to make them better.. They did not say anything about Sita Sagar. So Sita Sagar is now completely dry. It is like an empty space.
Sita Sagar was an important lake. It was pretty big 65 hectares. The farmers around Sita Sagar loved it because it gave them water for their fields. Sita Sagar also helped the fishermen a lot. They could catch fish in Sita Sagar. Then sell them to make a living.
From a Lake, to a Dry Space
Now Sita Sagar is totally empty. The bottom of Sita Sagar is all filled up with dirt and trash. Sita Sagar used to be a place but now Sita Sagar is just a dry space. The canals that used to bring water to Sita Sagar are all broken. Sita Sagar looks like a playground now. The people who live near Sita Sagar say it would be very hard to make another lake, like Sita Sagar. They think the government should least try to fix Sita Sagar, the old lake instead of just leaving it like that.
The problem is not that nobody knows what to do. The problem is that nobody is doing anything. Year a high-ranking engineer came to visit the lake. He made a report about what needed to be done to fix the lake. He sent the report to the authorities.. Nothing has happened yet.
The farmers and fishermen are very worried. They are asking the state government to please help them. They want the government to fix the lake and make it better. They do not want to lose the lake. The lake is very important, to Paralakhemundi. It is a part of the towns history. The people of Paralakhemundi want to save the lake. They want to save Sita Sagar. They want to save the lakes of Paralakhemundi.
Drowned in Neglect: Historical Sita Sagar Lake Lies Parched as Bureaucratic Delays Stall Restoration
