Telkoi: Summer has worsened the water crisis in most parts of Keonjhar district. Water is so scarce that the people of Kanjiajharan in Shibnarayanpurgoda panchayat now drink water from a hill stream.
The village is located in a hilly area and most of the people belong to the Bhuyan tribe. The stream is their only source of water.
It is shocking that such a state exists in this tribal pocket of a resource-rich district when the government spends crores to supply safe drinking water under its Swajaldhara Yojana. The Yojana provides for construction of overhead tanks, bore-wells and water supply through underground pipes. But this has remained just a dream for the poor Bhuyan tribals.
Although the villagers have apprised the panchayat and block authorities several times about their water problem, nothing has been done.
“We raised the matter with the sarpanch and the BDO, but to no avail,” villagers Amin Dehuri, Ramchandra Dehuri and Guru Dehuri said.
Domestic animals and fowl also throng the stream to quench their thirst as it is the only source of water. “In such a situation we have to drink stream water,” the villagers said. Dinking contaminated water has caused many diseases among the people here. The residents wanted the administration to assess their plight.
Sarpanch Sirpani Pradhan said there is no road to the hilltop village, and it was impossible to set up a tube-well.
BDO Dillip Kumar Bara said as the village is atop a hill, there is no way to go there.
PNN