ROURKELA: With onset of summer, drinking water crisis has returned to haunt several dry and hilly rural pockets of tribal-dominated Sundargarh district forcing women to walk long distances to fetch water from open wells.
Among worst affected areas are hilly hamlets Lakraghara and Chuhura of Rungaon panchayat under Bagaraon block under Bagaraon block and Juaniani village of Rajbahal panchayat under Lefripada block.
For about 50 households of Lakraghara and Chuhura hamlets, water crisis has become a part of life. At Lakraghara, affected villagers claimed that they have to rely on a nearby open well as the tube well had gone defunct shortly after installation and a solar pump set up also stopped working.
One of the women Sushila Tete said they walk about two km daily to fetch water from an open well. With summer intensifying, their difficulties mount as the water of the open well reduces further. The fate is similar for neglected Juniani village of Lefripada block with a population of 130 persons. Here too village women reportedly collect drinking water from a distant open well. They are also additionally burdened to boil the water as it is unsafe for direct consumption.
On February 16, 2021, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had laid foundation for a mega rural piped water project for Sundargarh (Sadar), Tangarpali, Lefripada, Balishankara, Subdega and Bargaon blocks of Sundargarh sub-division. The much hyped project worth about Rs 787 crore envisages to benefit 3,78,790 population of 84 panchayats in the six blocks.
Contacted, Rural Water Supply & Sanitation (RWSS) executive engineer for Sundargarh Division Hemant Barik said, “As an immediate relief, the depth of the tube well would be increased at Lakraghara. Water crisis is not so acute at Chuhura. Still efforts would be made to provide villagers with easy access to water. The ongoing mega drinking water project scheduled to be completed in 2024 would cover all pockets of the six blocks to address drinking water woes forever.”