Khandapara: With the heat wave turning severe in Odisha after cyclone Fani, most wells, ponds and other water bodies have dried up. The residents of Sidhamula panchayat, staying near Mahanadi river’s bank, are also struggling for just a bucket of water.
Many drinking water supply projects of the government have become completely dysfunctional in this region. People are facing an acute shortage of drinking water.
The two bore-wells in front of Sidhamula High School are not able to meet the needs of people. Local residents said the water coming out of the working bore-well is not fit for drinking, and the other one is dysfunctional.
There are 6,000 people in the seven villages of Sidhamula panchayat comprising 21 wards. In order to sort out the drinking water problem of this area, the Rural Water Supply & Sanitation (RWSS) Department had set up a drinking water supply project costing Rs 32 lakh, in year 2000. But the intake well of this project is not operational now.
After repeated demands from the public, on March 3, 2014 the then Executive Engineer of Nayagarh district RWSS, Bharat Chandra Dalei, had conducted Bhoomi Puja for a new drinking water supply project costing Rs 50 lakh.
In the first phase, it was decided to construct an intake well of 30 feet depth on the banks of the Mahanadi costing Rs 32 lakh. Subsequently drinking water was supposed to be supplied to people through an overhead tank, the Executive Engineer had said.
Nearly five years have passed since then and the contractor has left construction of the intake well on the Mahanadi bank half completed. As the ground water level in Sidhamula panchayat has gradually gone down during summer, nine of the 10 wells have dried up.
Of the four bore-wells in the locality, only one is operational now. The water coming out of the only bore-well is not fit for drinking. Even then, people are queuing up at the bore-well for just a bucket of drinking water.
The people of Mahalika Sahi, Pujari Sahi, Gouda Sahi, Tala Sahi, Mishra Sahi, Upara Sahi, Mundia Sahi, Dwaragaon and Wards 10 and 11 are facing an acute shortage of water. As there is no sufficient water the pressure of the water in the drinking water projects is inadequate.
Many people are collecting drinking water by digging pits near the pipelines. In some places women are seen fighting each other for water.
