Janbai gets access to fresh water
MALKANGIRI:For the residents of Janbai village, Gurupriya bridge has not only connected them to the mainland after remaining cut-off for six decades but has also ushered in development.After joining the mainstream, Janbai, which is now part of ‘Swabhiman Anchala’, has got access to fresh water through a tube-well.
Collector Manish Agarwal and his team prepared a blueprint to ensure development of ‘Swabhiman Anchala’, barely a week after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the much-awaited Gurupriya bridge while declaring a special package of `100 crore for Malkangiri to take up infrastructure development and other project works.
The opening of the bridge helped in moving a rig machine to the village on Tuesday and the process of digging 24 tube-wells in nine villages began in the first phase. The first tube-well has come up in front of Primary Health Centre at Janbai village under Badpada panchayat.
The village, with a population of 300 and 80 households, now has access to fresh drinking water for the first time after Independence. It emerged as an island with the creation of vast a reservoir when Balimela dam project, a joint venture of Odisha-Andhra Pradesh, came up. Until now, the villagers were dependent on rainwater through the reservoir.
The Collector said survey for Panasput-Jodamba road project is over and construction work will start soon to provide road connectivity between the two places. The survey for the road between Mukiput and Jamuguda will also start soon, Agarwal added.
Agarwal said the special package of `100 crore will be utilised to change the face of cut-off region by ensuring development of the region in all key sectors like health, communication, electrification and drinking water facilities across all the seven panchyats in ‘Swabhiman Anchala’.
“We are on the job to provide better sources of livelihood to the people there and enhance their well-being. It will encompass people’s capabilities, assets, income and activities required to secure the necessities of life,” he added.