PARADIP: Residents of 29 panchayats in Kujang block have been grappling with severe shortage of drinking water for the past week following disconnection of power supply by Tata Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL) due to unpaid electricity bills. The irked villagers, on Thursday, staged road blockade at Rahama on the Cuttack-Paradip State Highway, demanding immediate restoration of power supply.
Sources said, the state government had initiated a drinking water pipeline project in all panchayats of Kujang block under the Buxi Jagabandhu Assured Drinking Water to All Habitation (Basudha) scheme. It aimed at providing clean drinking water to all the villagers in these panchayats. However, without the knowledge of the sarpanchs, the TPCODL had installed smart pre-meters to monitor power consumption. As dues accumulated, the supplier disconnected power citing non-payment of electricity bills.
The lack of power supply has led to a severe water crisis, with villagers having to travel one to two km to fetch drinking water.In protest, hundreds of villagers from Sailo, Talapda, and other panchayats, led by Sailo sarpanch Saroj Kumar Sethy, staged demonstrations and road blockades at Rahama on Cuttack-Paradip State Highway, demanding immediate restoration of power supply.
BDO Kujang, Soumyashree Panigrahi, acknowledged the drinking water crisis and said due to the delay in receiving CFC funds, the payment of bills had been hampered. He assured the agitators that power supply would be restored within 10 days.