BERHAMPUR: Villagers of Dihapadhal, Bhereda, Goudiapali, Tulasipali and Nuasahi under Dihapadhal panchayat under Bhanjanagar block are located close to Bhanjanagar reservoir and Badanadi. Yet, the two water sources do not bring any respite to the villagers when it comes to water scarcity.
While women of the villages fetch water from water pits that have been dug up on the dry riverbed of Badanadi, the male counterparts spend hours in front of stand posts to collect just one bucket of water. There are over 3,000 families residing in the five villages and to meet their water needs, the RWSS wing has deployed tankers. However, villagers allege that supply through water tankers is inadequate.
In Bhanjanagar reservoir, the water level has come down from 5,000 sq ft to 1,200 sq ft. As a result, tubewells are not oozing water and water level in deep borewells has drastically gone down.