Bhubaneswar: World Water Day 2024 will be celebrated on the theme, ‘Water for Peace’ Friday. The state government and various environmental organisations will host special events to celebrate the day. An acute drinking water crisis in Bangalore has been creating international headlines. Bangalore is facing a shortage of 500 million liters of water which is about a fifth of the city’s daily demand. A similar situation in the state of Odisha, is predicated on a study conducted last year by Civil Society Organsiations Atmashakti Trust and its allies Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha and Mahila Shramajeebee.
Over 40 per cent of households in at least 15 districts have no access to safe drinking water. The study conducted from January to mid-February last year in 9,856 villages under 866-gram panchayats of 89 blocks in 15 districts revealed that out of a total of 9,37,152 households, 40.55 percent lack access to safe drinking water. The situation is quite alarming. Ranjan Panda, an environmentalist said water scarcity situation may likely occur in Odisha. Kalahandi, Bolangir and other southern parts of the state are regularly facing water scarcity. The dispute between Odisha and neighbouring states over water sharing is also a big problem. A mutual agreement can be reached in water conservation policy and preventing water pollution.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
