Keonjhar: Even in the early summer, river Musal, the lifeline of people of Harichandanpur in this district, has dried up, while locals perceive telltale signs of an impending water crisis in the forested pockets.
Locals claim that they had never seen the perennial river having been dried up during the last three generations. “Even in the hottest ever summer, the river has not gone dry. Water level in the river subsides on dry days, but its flow has never stopped for generations. This year, it is an exception. We are apprehending something disastrous,” said old timers.
People in most parts of the block have been hardly hit by water crisis due to the prevailing heatwave condition with mercury hovering over 42 degree Celsius.
For dearth of water, domestic and wild animals have been left high and dry. The situation will certainly turn bad to worse in coming the days, said some locals. PNN