Profiling important waterbodies of Odisha
Name: Near ITI Rourkela
Type:Pond, Size: Approx Half Acre, Location:Khairmal, Sonepur
Brief History:
As we are the local resident. We are long related with this pond from our very child hood days. From the very beginning this pond is neglected. Nobody take care of this pond and the beauty and utility of this pond continuously detoriated. As this pond is naturally created as it is a low laying area and act as a catchment. Here all the water from the hill collected and gives the shape of pond People form bounds around it to collect more water. Now it has a length of 122m and width of 93m and depth of 8m, has the capacity of holding 1843725 gallons of water.
Socio-religious significance:
This pond is mainly used by people of the area for bathing and washing purposes as most of the people are outsiders and reside there in government land. So they don’t have any permanent settlement. They live in kuccha houses and belong to lower middle or poor family. So this pond is utilised for sanitation purposes. This pond is situated beside a temple. So people take bath before they go for worshipping. People also widely used during Kartika Purnima. They took bath and performed their offerings there. This pond is also having religious importance because it is located near the Baisnodevi temple which is situated on the top of the hill.
Economic significance:
TThis pond is located in the heart of the city. It is very near to the Rourkela railway platform and beside the bypass road. And is also located in the catchment area. It is also a place of weekly market. Vendors sit around the pond but due to lack of sanitation it attracts less customer. So if beautification work will be conducted then more customers will be attracted and the income of the people will increase. Local people used for fishing but due to lack of proper care weeds grow and discourage fishing.
What is the current condition? Any efforts to clean up or rejuvenate the waterbody?
Currently the pond is surrounded with garbage and it attracts lot of stray animals and people may infect with skin diseases and other waterborne diseases. It also becomes a breeding place of mosquitoes. Still lot of people sit around the pond to enjoy their morning as it is comparatively an open place. Earlier lot of fishes grown in this pond but now due to the present condition fishes do not grow there so fishing activity is reduced. Lot of weeds and other unwanted plant grow around it and slowly the radius of the pond is reduced and needs immediate attention.
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