MALKANGIRI: IN the tribal district of Malkangiri, getting water is a daily struggle. With mercury shooting past 40 degree Celsius, people have to trek miles to fetch water since the projects launched by the State Government have become defunct.
Across Mathili, Khairput, Korukonda and Kudmulgumma blocks, the overhead tanks, set up by Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Wing of Rural Development department, are dysfunctional leaving the pipe water supply system in state of disuse. In most places, the water sources have dried up and at some, water is contaminated.
Locals have no option but to run the risk of fetching water from nullahs and rivulets. At least 29 pipe water supply projects in these blocks have stopped functioning within six months after being launched.
Many of the projects were set up in 2008, 2009 and 2010 at a cost of `10-15 lakh but became dysfunctional.
In Indira Colony, Disarisahi, Burudiguda, Darlaguda and Katrimajhiguda in Mathili block, Sargiguda and Goliguda in Kudmulgumma and Potenguda and Sariapalli in Korukonda block are the worst affected as the pipe water supply projects are not functioning. Even tube wells and bore wells are defunct.
People walk 2 to 3 km every morning for fetching their daily quota of water from unsafe sources. In some areas, though the tube wells are functioning, the water is contaminated.
The cut off regions are the worst hit as no pipe water supply projects exist. Many tube wells are lying defunct and people have to fetch water from distant places under the scorching sun. What has further aggravated the situation is drying up of the water bodies such as ponds and rivers forcing the people to fetch water from contaminated sources.