Tentulikhunti: With summer approaching fast, residents of Malabandha under Dangasil revenue village of Tentulikhunti block in Nabarangpur are in dire straits as there is no option left except a small spring to quench their thirst. The village folks depend solely on a small mountain spring flowing 500 metre away from the village. While the government is busy celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, it has failed to provide a tube well for the people of Malabandha.
However, the matter has never been able to grab the attention of higher-ups. Elections come and go, but the problem never goes, alleged villagers. Moreover, the water is so dirty and unsafe that apart from visible dust particles it often emanates a foul smell. People are forced to drink it as there is no other option available to them. Every now and then, many get admitted to hospitals every year contracting diarrhoea and other diseases. The spring water gets polluted raising the risks of such water-borne diseases due to manmade and natural reasons. The scarcity of water will worsen in the upcoming days.
After waiting for hours, the locals get to avail a bucket of water from the spring, a villager said. Residents of the village including Kishore Nayak, Sadan Jani, Jadu Jani, Phulamati Jani, Jamuli Jani, Mati Jani, and others demanded the digging of a tube well in their area.