After new fighting broke out late last night over a long-standing border dispute, tension erupted in the Ostapur and Kotapalla villages under the Baghamari police limits in Khordha district.
Locals from both sides were vandalising and hurling big stones as of Tuesday am, which resulted in numerous injuries and significant property damage. A few stores were reportedly set on fire amid the unrest, according to sources.
Rekindling of the Border Row Following the Lifting of Section 163
Only a few weeks have passed since Section 163 of the BNSS, which had been enforced in the region for about three months, was lifted. After numerous disagreements over village borders, the prohibitory order was previously put in place to stop fighting.

But following a small altercation last night, which was purportedly brought on by the naming of a nearby bus stop that both villages claim jurisdiction over, tensions reappeared.
Witnesses reported that shortly after the altercation, groups from both sides started hurling stones and igniting cars and roadside kiosks. Images from Wednesday morning showed scattered debris and burned tires along the road that connects the two settlements.
According to the most recent reports, there were concerns that the violence would get worse because neither a police team nor an administrative authority had arrived at the scene for several hours after it started.
According to sources, the competitor village's stores were vandalised by crowds due to the lack of law enforcement. The precise number of injured people is still unknown.

Prolonged Conflict
It is noteworthy that the border dispute between Ostapur and Kotapalla has been simmering for more than seven years, frequently exploding into conflicts over questions of local identity, resource access, and land demarcation.
Police held a flag march in the area earlier in August following a similar altercation that resulted in two injuries and at least ten damaged stores. In an effort to reduce tensions, district officials, including the Tehsildar, Sub-Collector, and SDPO, met peacefully with locals from both sides after that incident.
The dispute over the boundary line and local administrative power has continued despite numerous interventions.
Regarding the most recent event, neither the district administration nor the Khordha police have yet to release an official comment.