JAJPUR : Residents living in rented accommodation in Jaraka under Dharmasala block of the district have started deserting their houses in the wake of water crisis. The local administration’s failure to provide tap water has forced about 500 residents to leave their houses and take shelter elsewhere where water is available.
J
araka, a semi-urban town, comprises Kumari, Kumari Colony, Pandua, Nuagaon and Dubagadia areas. More than 8,000 people live in the town of which around 3,000 reside in rented houses. The severe heat condition has led to water shortage in the area which is surrounded by three hills while groundwater level is declining steadily. As a result, wells and other water bodies have dried up.
Rabindra Kumar Jena, a resident of Kumari Colony, said, “Water scarcity is very severe in the area and even we do not get drinking water regularly.”
While there is no water supply system in Kumari Colony, Pandua and Nuagaon areas, the administration is yet to engage tankers.
“We are forced to purchase water from local vendors for our daily use as we have no alternative. They charge arbitrarily as they get it from other areas,” said Rama Das, another resident. “You either buy water for everyday use or move out,” he said.
Though Jaraka is a stone’s throw away from Dharmasala block office, the administration has failed to provide water to the people of the area. Then how can it mitigate the water woes of far-flung areas, Das asked.
Collector Satya Kumar Mallik said efforts would be made to provide water through tankers in the area.