JAGATSINGHPUR: AT a time when the governments of Odisha and Chhattisgarh are at loggerheads over sharing of Mahanadi water, people of Tarapur and Achyutpur under Raghunathpur block in the district are trying to resolve the water crisis in their villages by digging up the river beds to access ground water.
The river bed has dried up at several places in the district as Chhattisgarh Government has blocked the water flow of Mahanadi into the neighbouring State by constructing dams and barrages.
The villagers use the stored water for cultivation of crops and daily activities. The river is lifeline to thousands of people living in Raghunathpur, Tirtol, Kujang and Paradip. Over the years, the decreasing water levels have affected the livelihood of farmers and fishermen in these areas. This year, the situation has turned worst.
“People have been deprived of water for cultivation. This has affected farming in the villages. Thus, groups of people from Tarapur and Achyutpur started digging up small pits on the dry bed,” said Tarapur sarpanch Saroj Kumar Das.
“We use JCB machines to dig up the sand bed up to five to seven feet. Later, the pit gets filled up with ground water and people start collecting it for daily use and cultivation,” said Laxman Das, a native of Tarapur.
Similar pits can be found in villages by the side of river Mahanadi. People dig up the pits in the evening and wait for water to seep in by the next morning. Villagers often use this water for drinking too.
Lifeline blocked
The river bed has dried up at several places in the district as Chhattisgarh Government has blocked the water flow of Mahanadi
The villagers use the stored water for cultivation of crops and daily activities
The river is lifeline to thousands of people living in Raghunathpur, Tirtol, Kujang and Paradip