Nilagiri: As a mega drinking water project in tribal-dominated Nilagiri block of Balasore district has missed the deadline due to land acquisition and other hurdles, a new deadline of January 2023 has been set for it. A team of officials from National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has taken stock of the developments and directed the contractor concerned to expedite the work to meet the extended deadline.
According to sources, many villages in Nilagiri block have been suffering due to scarcity of water, particularly in summer. In view of this, a mega drinking water project is being constructed at a cost of Rs 172 crore.
The expenses are being shared by both the state and the Union governments. The Nabard team visited Ajodhya village and conducted an inspection of the water treatment tank and an intake well at Kathapal on the bank of Sona river.
Work for the project started November 5, 2019 and was supposed to be completed by November 21, 2021. However, the project was delayed due to land acquisition issues. The mega drinking water project will cater to the needs of 1.03 lakh people in 90 villages under 20 panchayats in the district.