Nandapur: In an embarrassment for the state government, people in four villages bordering Andhra Pradesh, fed up with incessant drinking water woes, have urged the neighbouring state to intervene and supply them with drinking water.
Reports said Thursday that the dwellers of Golur, Sariapali, Mali Bhimadal and Gangaguda villages under Nandapur block of Koraput district are suffering due to lack of drinking water facilities in their respective villages. They are forced to collect water for day-to-day use by digging up pits near the hills and on their farmlands.
The border residents have alleged that despite apprising the panchayat representatives, block officials and the authorities of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department about their problem, their pleas are yet to be addressed. With summer season drawing near, the villagers fear that water scarcity might worsen making their lives harder.
With no help coming from the administration, they have written to an Andhra-based outfit ‘Sai Charitable Trust’ to supply them with drinking water. In their letter, they have pleaded with the trust authorities to construct a drinking water project for their villages like the one constructed in Andarguda village under Panthlung panchayat of Koraput district and hand it over to them for their use.
As per sources, the charitable trust is implementing various developmental projects in the fringe villages of Koraput district under the supervision of the Andhra Pradesh government.
On receipt of the letters, officials of the outfit visited the four villages and took stock of the situation. They also identified land and the water sources to construct a spring based water supply system. Villagers Reli Sisha, Subhash Kurukuria, Gopinath Pujari, Saba Khara, Jaysen Nayak, Kamesh Khil, Ramaswami Kuda, Rama Matam and Randu Matam said that the charitable trust will solve their drinking water problems by supplying water flowing from the fountains on the hilltop.
Chatters went abuzz after reports surfaced, evoking sharp reactions in various quarters. Meanwhile, the block administration claimed to be constructing a mega drinking water project at an expense of over `200 crore. The project, when completed, will help in supply of drinking water to every household but it will take three to four years to get completed, officials said.
In this situation, the villagers are worried about their survival in the absence of any drinking water facilities. The villages have tube wells but most of them are lying defunct. Moreover, those operational are throwing out iron-laced water in very less quantity as ground water level has also declined in the area. At least four out of eight tube wells in Mali Bhimadal village are lying defunct while stand posts have stopped throwing water due to rupture in pipelines of Basudha project.
When contacted, Durga Prasad Dora, block development officer (BDO), Nandapur said that he has directed the RWSS officials and the panchayat extension officer to visit the affected villages and submit a report after reviewing the situation. Necessary steps will be taken after receiving the report, he assured.
PNN
