JEYPORE: Even as the summer shows no signs of respite, scarcity of water is making daily life unbearable for residents of many villages across Koraput district. Home to 250 families, B. Maliguda village under Jeypore block has a lone hand-pump and two wells as the only source of water round the year. As the summer approaches every year and water sources dry up, villagers, mostly women, have no option but to brave the heat and walk over 2 km daily to fetch water from streams in hilly areas.
Villagers said this year too is no different is the water levels in the wells have done down and the hand-pump is dysfunctional. “The administration should consider our hardships and set up another hand-pump on priority basis,” said Kausalya, a local. Sources said the block development office of Jeypore has already asked the Rural Water Supply division to dig a bore well in the village urgently but it is yet to work out.
Concerning the issue, Jeypore BDO SK Patnaik said he is aware of the drinking water crisis in the village.
“We have already initiated action to dig a bore well in the village on urgent basis and it will come up in the next few days,” he added.