Bahanaga: Amid the heat wave condition, water crisis has worsened in various parts of Bahanaga block in Balasore district.
Even as people in the area have been battling water shortage, a drinking water project has not been executed till date at Karanjabindha.
The project has remained confined to digging of a bore well.
The village consists of three wards with a population of over 2,000. About 80 per cent of the population belongs to Scheduled Caste category. Locals lamented that the government has failed to provide them safe drinking water under the Swajaldhara Yojana.
They said the rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) department had dug a bore well a year ago at a cost of Rs 3 lakh. The project entailed construction of an overhead tank and supply of safe water through pipe lines.
But the project has not been executed while they had to suffer from water paucity in the summer for many years, the villagers lamented.
People have to bring water from private tube wells and wells now.
Many tube wells have been lying defunct while the RWSS does not repair them.
Locals alleged that the pani panchayat does not provide funds for repair of tube wells. Prasanna Dalei, a villager, said drinking water was being supplied from a project at Gilinda village, but it was stopped later.
Kandua Jena, another villager, lamented that the villagers dreamt of availing safe drinking water after the bore well was drilled, but the dream vanished soon. The project lies in limbo due to lack of political willpower, he noted.
Roupyaranjan Behera, sub-divisional officer of the RWSS, said an estimate of the project has not been passed. “The bore well was drilled to detect the level of the water source. The project will begin only after the estimate is passed,” he added.
PNN