Baliguda: The government executes the Swajaldhara Yojana to ensure safe drinking water to people in rural pockets, but this scheme is a far cry for people in remote pockets of Kandhamal district.
They have to face a lot of difficulty in availing safe drinking water and have to collect water from pits and rivulets.
Women gathering around a stream are found routinely at Mahasinga panchayat under K Nuagaon block.
Reports said people of three wards — Mathiajholasahi, Bherdalaisahi and Purunasahi are dependent on this stream for drinking water.
They have dug out a pit inside the dry Khadgai riverbed to collect water from the source.
Some years ago, the people were being provided water under a Swajaldhara project, but it has gone out of order now.
“There is a water tank and there are stand posts, but water is not coming,” lamented the residents.
For years, they have been facing water crisis. They had taken up the issue with the local sarpanch and the BDO about the defunct water project. But no step is being taken to redress the issue, they rued.
“We have no safe drinking water in the village. The block administration spends a lot for drinking water projects in other villages. We are deprived of this,” the residents alleged.
Consumption of contaminated water from the pit often causes health hazards for the people. “People are affected by diarrhoea and cholera,” they said.
Residents of Mahasinga panchayat and people’s representatives demanded that the administration should set up a solar-energy based drinking water project in the area so that people can get safe drinking water.
Ward member Parmananda Bherdalai, president of Mahila Mahasangh Sushma Bherdalai and Gouranga Patra warned that if safe drinking water is not supplied, they would resort to protest in the block.
PNN