Koraput: Even as the nation is about to celebrate Independence Day this month, a village in Malkangiri district with a population of 300 has got access to clean drinking water after inauguration of the Gurupriya bridge.
For Janbai village which was cut off for around six decades the bridge is not just a connection to the mainland, but is also a milestone in development. After joining the mainstream Janbai which is now a part of Swabhiman Anchala has got access to fresh drinking water through a tube well.
A blueprint was prepared to ensure implementation of development programmes in Swabhiman Anchala a week after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Gurupriya bridge and declared a package of Rs 100 crore for Malkangiri to take up infrastructure projects, said Collector Manish Agarwal.
Janbai emerged as an island after the creation of the Balimela dam reservoir, a joint venture of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. Till date, the villagers were dependent on rainwater. The bridge helped in moving a rig to the village last Tuesday and the process of digging 24 tube wells in nine villages began.
The first tube well came up in front of the primary health centre in Janbai in Badapada panchayat.
The Collector said the survey for the Panasput-Jodamba road is over and soon construction will start to connect and the survey for the road between Mukiput and Jamuguda will also start soon.
Agarwal said the package of Rs 100 crore will be utilised to change the face of the cut off region by ensuring development in key sectors like healthcare, communication, drinking water and electrification. “We are also trying to provide better livelihood sources,” he added.
PNN