Nuapada: Even as it has been 20 years since the formation of this district, several people in the headquarters town have no access to safe drinking water, a report said.
While the denizens struggle for a drop of water, it is better not to mention the plight of people in rural pockets, said Alok Kumar Dhal, a social activist of the town.
With a population of 17,399, Nuapada town requires at least 2.69 million litre per day (MLD) of water. However, the rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) department supplies only 0.6 MLD water due to poor infrastructure, it was learnt.
According to reports, the town having 14 wards has 230 tube-wells whereas 167 households avail piped water facilities. Though there are 15 stand-posts in the town, the RWSS department has stopped water supply for a long time.
Of the 14 wards, people in 10 wards have no access to safe drinking water. Several households of Telipada, Radhakrushna Pada, Nilashaila Nagar, Revenue Colony and Bishi Colony don’t expect government water supply anymore and have drilled their own bore wells to get water, it was learnt.
The condition of poor and daily labourers is pitiable, to say the least. While many of them wait for water tankers engaged in road construction to get water, others have no option but to use muddy water of a handful of existing ponds in the town which is even used by farm animals.
Use of the water of such ponds can make them suffer from various waterborne diseases, locals feared especially following the spread of jaundice in nearby Bhawanipatna town.
RWSS assistant engineer Ashok Kumar Behera said 10 water tankers have been put into use so that people across the town can get sufficient water.
This apart, large size water tanks have been installed at 22 locations of the town and the water of these tanks are sent for laboratory test every three days to prevent spread of waterborne diseases like jaundice, Behera added. PNN
