BHAWANIPATNA: With the drinking water project in the area hanging fire since the past 13 years, residents of Bhanpur village under Narla block of Kalahandi district are in a spot. Sources said, during the years 2009-2014, a deep bore well was attached with an eight metre high overhead tank fitted with a solar panel to lift water to the tank, Stand posts were installed in different areas for distributing water in the households there.
However, the solar panel fitted was unable to draw the requisite amount of water and so an independent electric transformer was installed in its place. But during 2016-17, due to inadequate level of ground water, a substitute to supply pipe water to all households from nearby Sandol river was planned.
Accordingly, an intake well and a pump house were set up on the banks of the river, a new transformer installed and a two-km-long PVC pipe along with a 10 metre high overhead tank was constructed near the old overhead tank for the purpose. However, water supply problem kept persisting due to technical issues.
In October this year, in order to augment the existing system, a Rs 2.80 crore tender has been floated under the Rettrofitting Scheme, to replace the damaged PVC pipe lines with HDPE pipe lines, construct a 15 metre high overhead tank and to install new pump house with 20 HP motor.
While Executive engineer of RWSS Ajaya Kumar Mishra is positive that the scheme once implemented would solve the water supply issue in the locality, social activist Jagdish Pradhan expressed doubt over the scheme bearing fruit.
“The Bhanpur drinking water project lying in limbo for all these years demonstrates the unprofessional handling of the project at all levels resulting in wastage of the tax payers’ money. The government must take action against the concerned officials,” said Pradhan.