Patnagarh: Water is a perennially scare substance in Pandaripani village under Patnagarh block in Bolangir district. Now, with the mercury levels soaring with each day, water is almost non-existent here and residents are yearning for this most important substance.
In the absence of any source of potable water, residents here are being forced to use contaminated water from pits/holes dug in the riverbed near their village, making themselves vulnerable to various deadly diseases. Women of this village have a tough time as they have to trek over a kilometre to fetch water from the pits for drinking as well as cooking purposes.
Comprising of 550 tribals, around 110 families dwell in this village that is located just 25 km from the block office. While four tube-wells were sunk to meet the water requirements of the tribals in the village, two are lying defunct, while the other two release water contaminated with fluoride, which is not fit for consumption.
Locals asserted that the administration was doing little to ameliorate the sufferings of the people here. Left with no other option, the tribals have dug pits from where they extract water, which is filtered using a cloth and, subsequently, use it for drinking purpose.
The irony is that it takes hours to filter the water from sand. Moreover, the contaminated water is responsible for the spread of various diseases in the village.
The villagers say that they have taken up their water woes with the administration time and again, but the concerned officials have paid no heed to their plights. Except for hollow assurances, the villagers have got nothing so far. The villagers have even pleaded with the block administration to repair the defunct tube-wells, but to no avail.
With the onset of summer every year, tribals here experience water scarcity. Despite the chronic problem, the authorities are yet to set up a water project in or close to the village. As their repeated demands to address the issue on an urgent basis have fallen on deaf ears, tension continues to prevail in the region.
Ironically, the local authorities feign ignorance about the water woes of the tribals. When contacted, Patnagarh BDO Sanjib Kumar Meher said he was unaware of the plight of the locals and would look into the matter.