Bangiripossi: Over 1,500 residents of Kaliami, Silpunji and Majhigaon villages Monday gheraoed the block office here in Mayurbhanj district in protest against water scarcity in the area prevailing for the last 15 days.
According to sources, hundreds of families residing in the three villages depend on the water supplied to them from river Budhabalanga. However, due to a technical snag in the pump house, water supply has been disrupted to the villages for the last 15 days.
Sarpanch Sunimani Singh brought the matter to the notice of rural water supply and sanitation (RWSS) junior engineer Narayan Bhoi, but to no avail, the villagers alleged.
“All our pleas to solve the water problem fell on deaf ears,” the villagers said.
About 1,500 men and women Monday gheraoed the block office carrying empty buckets and pitchers in protest against the administration’s apathy.
The block development officer (BDO) pacified the angry people. The agitators relented after the BDO assured them of repairing the snag within two days. The villages would be supplied water through tankers till the pump was repaired.
The protesters also demanded tube wells in the villages to which the BDO agreed. PNN