Tentulikhunti: The nondescript hilltop village of Mardiguda in the Kalahandi district is the origin of the Indravati river. However, the historic place lies in neglect despite finding a place in the tourism map of Odisha. Residents are deprived of basic amenities like electricity and drinking water facilities. Due to the apathy shown by the Odisha government, Mardiguda fails to attract tourists, locals said. Mardiguda is a small hamlet in the Thuamula-Rampur block of the Kalahandi district.
Approximately 40 farmers reside with their families in this village surrounded by hills and forests from all sides. The Indravati river has an interesting origin. Three small streams of water flowing from behind a mango tree in Mardiguda village merge together to form the mouth of the river. It is indeed a beautiful sight to the eyes if one visits the scenic spot. The villagers worship this place as the shrine of Maa Indravati. The river then meanders its way across Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts in Odisha before entering Chhattisgarh.
It flows through various parts of Chhattisgarh before it joins the Godavari on the borders of Maharashtra and Telangana. The beautiful terrain that the river traverses and the many mythologies surrounding it, add to the river’s aura and magic. The river is known as the lifeline of Kalahandi and Nabarangpur districts. Water from the river is used for irrigation of 1.5 lakh hectare of land in Kalahandi district. It is also the source of 600MW of electricity to Odisha.
The Odisha government has constructed a large reservoir to store the water from the river. Also, a hydroelectricity project has been established at Mukhiguda providing employment directly and indirectly to many persons. The power generated from the river water allows the state to earn substantial revenues. Locals lamented that the village which has given birth to the Indravati river, however, is not looked after properly by the Odisha government. What ails the villagers the most is the lack of proper drinking water facilities. Yes, there are some tube wells in the village.
However, most of the time the tube wells pour out contaminated water. Also, the lack of electricity means that people have to depend on lanterns and lamps once the sun sets. Only one signboard stating that Mardiguda is a tourist spot has been put up. Hence people rarely visit this beautiful village as they are not aware of it. Some residents claimed that the Tourism department has to involve locals to attract tourists to the place. When contacted, BDO Subhakanta Nayak said that the village has various problems and efforts are being made to resolve them in phases. He, however, said that there are no plans to develop the place as a tourist side.