BHUBANESWAR: Kantabanji town may go dry and residents will have to go without water as renovation of ‘Pampu Talab’ (one of the oldest tanks in the town) has not progressed because of large scale irregularities in its implementation. Pampu Talab, a tank spread over 98 acres, was dug by Bengal Nagpur Railway (BNR) in 1935 when Raipur and Visakhapatnam were connected with railway line. Since then, people of the town have been depending on the pond for their drinking water needs as well as other requirements.
As the pond was getting silted, minor irrigation department floated a tender in 2016-17 for its renovation. The renovation cost was estimated at `2.34 crore. But due to large scale irregularities, the pond has become completely dry. Former MLA and Congress leader Santosh Singh Saluja gheraoed the Notified Area Council (NAC) office at Kantabanji last week over the issues of drinking water shortage and alleged corruption in renovation of the pond.
Saluja said a memorandum has also been submitted to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik demanding a high-level probe into corruption in renovation work. The renovation, which was to start on March 13 last year, would have been completed on February 15 this year. Saluja alleged that though the pond was not dug and people of the town are facing water crisis, officially it is being said the project work has been completed.
Saluja demanded that the project should be executed again to solve the drinking water crisis of the people who are facing a harsh summer this time. He demanded that five deep tube wells should be dug in all the 16 wards of the NAC. Besides, drinking water tankers should also be stationed in all the 16 wards of the town, he said and added that pipe water should be provided to residents of all the wards for two hours each in the morning and evening. Saluja also demanded that all the tanks in the town, ‘Siba Bandha’, ‘Singalpada Bandha’, pond in Ward No. 1 and Balkisan pond should be renovated to solve the water crisis that the people are facing.