Telkoi/Bhanaga: Defunct tube wells have forced people of these two blocks in Keonjhar and Balasore districts to turn to other sources like pits and ponds to quench their thirst for water.
As there is no provision of safe drinking water, residents of Kulanga in Bamala panchayat under tribal-dominated Telkoi block are forced to drink water from Turturi creek and pits dug along its bank.
Though the residents had taken up the issue with people’s representatives and the administration, no step has been taken to provide safe drinking water.
The villagers apprised the BDO of the problem. Two tube wells were installed in the village, but they went defunct. The creek, two km away from the village, has dried up now, forcing the villagers to dig up pits to collect water.
The villagers and samiti member Sarat Patra said that the sarpanch and the RWSS had assured them to supply drinking water through tankers, but nothing has been done.
Sarpanch Khulana Nayak explained that the RWSS had assured to supply water to the village though tankers, but fund has been a constraint.
Moris Dung Dung, an engineer of the RWSS, said that the tube wells would be repaired and water will also be supplied to the village through tankers.
Similarly, water crisis has gripped Jarital in Kaspajaypur panchayat under Bhanaga block in Balasore. The residents here have to face a lot of difficulties in getting safe drinking water with several tube wells having gone defunct.
In such circumstances, people have no way but to drink contaminated water from ponds.
A project was started to supply drinking water to people in six wards, but it is yet to become functional, locals lamented.
Villagers alleged that though they had taken up the issue with the block administration and the RWSS, nothing was being done to sort out the water crisis.
The villagers demanded immediate steps to make the project functional.
Paramananda Behera, a junior engineer of the RWSS, said that nobody had intimated them about the defunct tube wells while the drinking water project has not been completed and it will be handed over to local pani panchayat.