Thuamul Rampur: Residents of Tumonikhol village under Birikot Gram Panchayat of Kalahandi district continue to face an acute drinking water crisis, with nearly 200 people from 45 families depending on water from a mountain stream for their daily needs, sources said Tuesday.
The village’s two deep tube-wells are defunct, while the ‘Basudha’ drinking water project has become non-functional, locals said. Although two overhead water tanks were constructed under the scheme, no household receives piped water as broken pipelines and damaged taps have rendered the distribution system inoperative, they added.
The department has skipped installing any mandatory project information board. Residents alleged a corrupt nexus between departmental officers, panchayat officials, and local middlemen, leading to the alleged embezzlement of public funds.
Currently, women and children trek through rocky terrain to fetch water from a muddy puddle—a shared source for domestic cattle and wild animals alike. With infants and the elderly consuming this contaminated water, a major waterborne epidemic is an imminent threat, locals stated.
Led by Ward Member Sabha Majhi, along with community elders Lakshmi Majhi, Sinai Majhi, and others, the enraged village has issued a stern ultimatum to the administration.
“We boycotted the 2024 elections, yet our pleas were ignored. Our voter count now stands at 65. If a permanent water solution is not delivered immediately, all 65 voters will completely boycott the upcoming polls. The block and district administration will be solely responsible for any tragedy,” warned the villagers.
When asked, Manmath Murmu, Assistant Executive Engineer of the RWSS department, said, “There is no motorable road to take heavy drilling rigs into Tumonikhol. A previous gravity-based system has dried up completely. Regarding the missing project board, the contractor must have failed to set it up,” Murmu stated.