Bhawanipatna: Eleven of the 36 perennial streams in Niyamgiri hill on the fringes of Kalahandi and Rayagada districts have dried up resulting in a severe drinking water crisis among tribals.
The perennial hilly streams like Goimal, Phulkinda, Gidaguda, and Dumajharan on Baflamali hills in Kashipur have now fallen short of water while the stream on Lauguda hill is on the verge of extinction.
The Niyamgiri hill is home to primitive Dongria and Jharnia Kondh tribals in Kalahandi and Rayagada districts. In the absence of drinking water, these tribals depend on these hilly streams for their water needs.
Observers claim that mindless mining and constant soil erosion and lack of upkeep have led to extinction and drying up of several rivulets and hilly streams in Rayagada district. The drying up of the hilly streams has resulted in severe water crisis for the residents as they are solely dependent on these waterbodies to meet their drinking water needs.
The region from Kashipur to Kalyansinghpur and from Kolnara to Muniguda is facing the drinking water problem.
The situation was not the same two decades back. People used to get enough water from Vamshadhara, Nagabali, Jhanjabati, Kalyani rivers as well as from the hilly streams of Niyamgiri, Baflamali, Kodingamali, Sashubohumali hills. The residents also used this water from these sources to irrigate their farmlands for inter-crops.
However, with the passage of time, the water flow started declining forcing people to grope for a drop of water from January to July till the start of monsoon. Over 51 small and big rivulets and nullahs flow into Vamshadhara, Nagabali, Jhanjabati and Kalyani rivers. However, except for rainy season it has become a dream to get water from these water bodies.
Three other nullahs like Jatili, Biripadar, Majhianala remain dry all through the year. Earlier, water used to flow in these nullahs round the year. The hilly stream which flows down from Maligaon hill in Bandhapadar village under Kashipur block has failed to meet the increasing demand for water by people. Similarly, water flow has dropped in streams flowing into Indravati and Kalyani rivers.
The scene of acute water crisis in Parsali panchayat in Kalyansinghpur block is a case in point. People in this panchayat depend on the hilly streams of Niyamgiri for which the Parsali Dongria Kondh Development Agency has spent several lakhs to install a piped water supply project.
However, the water project is hardly of any use as the stream often remains dry due to a drop in the water flow.
The water scarcity in the villages of Rayagada district bordering Andhra Pradesh has acquired serious proportions where men and women could be seen trudging miles to get a pot of water. The local administration and rural water supply and sanitation department have failed to alleviate the sufferings of people.
The situation in Dumukupada village under Kolanara block is equally bad as tribals had to cover four km on foot to collect water from nearby Lalbi village. This has happened as the hilly stream from which they got water has dried up for last three years.
Things have come to such a pass that if a function takes place in the village, people had to collect and store drinking water 15 days in advance. When contacted, Kolnara BDO Tapas Kumar Bhoi said as there is no road to Dumkupada village, water will be supplied to the village by constructing a solar drinking water project at a cost of Rs 5 lakh.
