SAMBALPUR: Summer months and water crisis have become synonymous for people of western Odisha. Though claims are made every year of improving the situation, drinking water projects still remain defunct due to lackadaisical attitude of the authorities and sub-standard quality of work.With advent of summer returns water scarcity to haunt Maoist-infested Brahmanipali village under Birmaharajpur block of Sonepur district. There are only three tube-wells which fail to cater to needs of the 300-odd population of Brahmanipali.
Though a drinking water project was constructed in the village more than a year back, it is yet to be made operational. While the required infrastructure for the project such as overhead tank, pump house, electrification and laying of pipelines has been completed, there is no motor and pump to draw water.
Villagers alleged that despite drawing attention of the authorities concerned several times in the past, there has been no improvement in the situation. Sources said as Brahmanipali is located on a hilly terrain, water becomes a scare commodity during summer.
The situation in no different in Dangmunda village, located one km from Gudvelipadar gram panchayat in Boudh district. A piped water project has been completed and is ready for commissioning. However, the project is lying defunct for reasons best known to the RWSS authorities. The villagers of Dangmunda, on the other hand, have no idea whom to approach for provision of drinking water during the cruel summer months.
Similarly in Duelpadar village of Sonepur district, an overhead tank, though completed, awaits commissioning due to absence of electricity supply. Sources said laying of pipelines, construction of pump house besides installation of motor and pump have been completed since years. But since there is no power connection, the project is yet to be made operational.While a transformer needs to be installed for the project, villagers said repeated demands for making the project functional have yielded no result.