Bhubaneswar, June 29: Ancient Utkal's architects mastered dam and barrage construction. One such barrage built across the Gandhabati (now known as Gangua nullah) in Bhubaneswar, believed to be Odisha's first of its kind, has become extinct, buried beneath grass and weeds sans efforts to preserve this engineering heritage.
The barrage known as Malia Bandha, built about 600 years ago in Kapileswar and Kukudakhandipatna area on the Bhubaneswar outskirts, was constructed with laterite stone. Measuring approximately 60 feet in width and 12 feet in height, it featured 15 spillways. The structure irrigated nearly 1,000 acres of agricultural land and also served as a vital crossing, providing nearby villages with access to the old city of Bhubaneswar.
For centuries, the historic Malia Bandha irrigated nearly 1,000 acres of agricultural land stretching from Kapileswar and Sundarpada to Pandhansahi, sustaining farming communities across the region. However, the devastating 1982 floods, which ravaged the entire Mahanadi river system, completely washed away the remnants of the centuries-old barrage.
In 1983, following sustained efforts by the then Bhubaneswar MLA Ramakrishna Pati, a new barrage was constructed about 16 km upstream on the Gangua at Patia to restore water regulation. While the new structure addressed upstream needs, it drastically reduced the flow of water to the downstream stretch feeding the historic Mallia Bandh. The diminished water supply led to an acute shortage of irrigation water, adversely affecting agriculture in the areas that had traditionally depended on the ancient barrage.
While no historical records have yet been found to conclusively establish the origin of the Malia Bandha, local tradition links it to the reign of King Kapilendra Dev. Senior servitor Harihar Mallia said it is believed that the barrage was constructed during Kapilendra Dev's rule in the mid-15th century, when the king established settlements in the surrounding areas. However, he acknowledged that this view is based on oral tradition and not supported by documentary historical evidence.
