SAMBALPUR: Mercury is on the rise and so is water crisis across Western Odisha. People of the region are already feeling the pangs of water crisis and the numerous traditional water harvesting structures are of little help.
The scarcity is acute in Bargarh. Here, Lelehara Kanta (natural traditional water harvesting structure) in Lelehara village of Ambabhona block is spread over five acres of land. Today, it has completely dried out. Similar structures in blocks of Bijepur, Barpali, Sohela, Ambabhona, Jharbandh, Gaiselet, Paikmal and Padampur in Padampur sub-division of the district do not have enough water to meet the daily needs of locals.
In Bargarh town, the PHD staff have made sand embankments on river Jeera to store water for drinking water supply as three water harvesting structures __ Bhrusung bundh, Dora bundh and Bisi bundh have dried up.
At Sonepur, there is not enough water in the water bodies for people to survive the summer. Villagers said farmers have breached embankments of the water bodies to irrigate land in a bid to save their crops, aggravating the situation.
In Patnagarh block in Balangir district, water crisis is being felt in Jogimunda village. The proposed augmentation of drinking water supply to Balangir town from river Mahanadi in Sonepur is embroiled in a land acquisition case. Water has started drying up in Tel and Hati rivers that flow through Jaipatna, Thuamal Rampur, Kalampur, Junagarh and Kesinga blocks.