NARENDRA RAUT, OP
Koraput: Mohanpada village in Koraput district is grappling with a severe drinking water crisis, exposing years of alleged administrative neglect and unfulfilled promises. Despite repeated assurances, nearly 1,400 residents continue to struggle to meet their basic water needs. Many villagers wake as early as 3am to queue for water, often waiting until late morning, disrupting daily routines and livelihoods.
Resident Kanak Khillo said people are forced to forgo work hours to collect water, adding that the situation worsens in summer when the only functional tube well frequently produces muddy and unsafe water. The crisis is particularly acute in Gauda Sahi, where two of the three tube wells have long been defunct, leaving residents dependent on a single unreliable source.
Villagers have demanded the immediate installation of a new tube well. With no alternative, residents also cross a busy highway to reach a nearby river for bathing and washing, putting their lives at risk. Former councillor Narayan Chandra Bhatra criticised authorities for their inaction. He said two wells and a tube well were constructed during his tenure in 2000, but most have since become defunct.
Repeated complaints, he alleged, have gone unanswered. He added that a piped water supply system stopped functioning eight months ago after a transformer was stolen and has not been restored. With villagers travelling nearly 2 km each day to fetch water, the crisis is taking a toll on health and livelihoods, particularly among daily wage earners.
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