Dhenkanal: Despite the Brahmani river flowing near Kamalanga village of Odapada block in the Dhenkanal district, its inhabitants are facing acute water scarcity. This is because the industrial plants are unabatedly drawing water from the river. Although farmers of the village are getting water for irrigation, there is a shortage of water for domestic use.
Left with no option, women of the village have to walk miles to fetch water from the river for domestic purposes. The crisis has cropped up as neither the administration nor the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Mission (RWSS) has taken any steps for the supply of drinking water to the village. This has sparked resentment among the villagers. They said that Kamalanga village has a population of approximately 7,000 people. The village, however, does not have any tube well or bore well. The locals alleged that the administration has not made any arrangements for the supply of clean drinking water. The problem aggravates during summer. Then women have to walk in energy-sapping heat to fetch water from the Brahmani.
However, as the river also dries up, they have to dig pits in the river bed to get water which is unhygienic. Also even if water is available in the Brahmani River, it is not healthy for consumption due to the discharge of toxic effluents by the industrial units. However, with no proper drinking water facility available, the residents are forced to drink the river water risking their health.
Residents of Kamalanga village approached the district collector last week over the issue. They gave a written petition demanding the setting up of piped water facilities. When contacted, RWSS superintendent engineer Surendra Behera said that his office has received the letter. He said that the engineers of his department will soon visit the village.
