'Why Was Eco-Friendly Boating Facility At Taladanda Canal Stopped?': Orissa High Court Asks State Govt

The Orissa High Court has questioned the State as to why the eco-friendly boating facility at Taladanda Canal has been halted since November last year, even before completing second month of its inauguration.

The Division Bench of Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice V. Narasingh was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) suo moto registered by the Court to monitor different developmental activities in the city of Cuttack.

The Bench assembled in the post-lunch session on Thursday to hear multiple issues faced by the people of Cuttack. During the course of hearing, it was brought to the notice of the Court that though an eco-friendly boating facility was started at Taladanda canal in September last year, it was stopped in November, 2023.

The Court expressed displeasure over the development and asked the State Counsel to obtain instruction as to why such step was taken and when the facilities shall be resumed for the general public.

“Let the learned counsel for the State obtain instruction as to why the citizens have been deprived of such facility and whether there is any proposal to resume it and if so, when it would be restored,” it directed.

It also came to the notice of the Court that earlier 'mesh fencing' was done on both sides of the canal so as to prevent littering of the renovated water-body, but the same has been damaged to a considerable extent.

“There was also footpath on both the side adjacent to such wire mesh fencing and it has been damaged and the beauty has been lost. Immediate steps shall be taken for repairing of the same and its renovation,” the Bench ordered.

Notably, the canal was dug up by the British government in the year 1869. The watercourse, however, got polluted day by day due to lack of maintenance and disposal of garbage items. The tourism department had renovated and beautified the same so as to attract more and more people to the spot, which situates near to the historic Ravenshaw University.