Koraput: Since the summer has set in a few days ago, many parts of the state are reeling under 35-40° Celsius now. With the temperature soaring by the day, water problems too have started rising.
People of Koraput district are waiting for the worst to come with water projects hanging fire and hundreds of tube wells lying defunct.
As per the administration reports, six drinking water projects are lying incomplete in the district while more than 464 tube wells have been out of order for several months. The survey was submitted to District Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy at a review meeting here, Sunday.
Keeping in view the rising temperature, the Collector called for the meeting to discuss steps to tackle the water problems in the district.
There are at least 14,531 tube wells in the district. Similarly, there are 470 drinking water supply projects in the district with two in Jeypore and one each in Kundura, Boipariguda, Borigumma, Semiliguda lying defunct. Taking serious note of this, the Collector directed the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department executive engineer to take immediate steps to tackle the situation.
Meanwhile, people of villages under Jeypore block have already started feeling the pinch of water crisis since March beginning. Women are forced to wait for hours in long queues to fetch a pot of water from tube wells.
While many tube wells are lying defunct, the ground water level is also decreasing. In such a scenario, some women walk over a km to collect water from a pond. The women said the authorities had been apprised of the water scarcity. However, no steps have been taken to resolve the problem.
They have urged the administration to repair the defunct tube wells or arrange alternative water supply. “I have asked the RWSS to repair the defunct tube wells and complete the remaining water projects before the summer reaches its peak,” the Collector said.
PNN
