Mega project on slow lane, water crisis looms in Odisha

Foundation stone of the mega project was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2018. Taken up at a cost of Rs 241 crore, the project was supposed to be completed in two years.
A defunct tube-well in a seaside village of Kendrapara | Express
A defunct tube-well in a seaside village of Kendrapara | Express

KENDRAPARA:  With the advent of summer, a large number of villages in Kendrapara’s Mahakalapada and Marsaghai blocks are facing the risk of water scarcity as the ambitious drinking water supply project is moving at a snail’s pace.

Foundation stone of the mega project was laid by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in 2018. Taken up at a cost of Rs 241 crore, the project was supposed to be completed in two years. The project envisages to supply water in the salinity-hit coastal pockets of the two blocks. It will benefit a population of 2.36 lakh by providing drinking water through pipelines to 148 villages of 26 gram panchayats in Mahakalapada and 52 villages of 16 gram panchayats in Marsaghai.

Arjun Mandal of Batighar said the lone tube-well in his village became defunct six months back. Now, women and children are forced to walk around 2 km to fetch water from tube-wells and wells in nearby villages. Similar is the situation in Suniti, Jamboo, Tubi, Talachua, Rangani, Kansarabadadandua, Ajagarapatia and other villages.

Rajanikant Das of Jamboo village said as many tube-wells have become defunct, villagers are using contaminated water from ponds, rivers and other sources. “The scarcity will worsen in the coming months. Many seaside villages are headed for a water crisis as soaring mercury levels result in parched conditions during the early summer. Besides, the groundwater salinity level is rising due to over-exploitation by prawn farm owners in many villages,” Das claimed.

Contacted, executive engineer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Basant Nayak said the first phase work of the project will be completed within six months following which water will be supplied to villages in Mahakalapada. It will take another year to complete the remaining work and provide water to Marsaghai villages.

Nayak further informed that the proposed mega project will have a capacity to provide 25 million litre drinking water. At least 28 overhead water tanks will be built under the project which involves laying of around 150 km pipeline, construction of six underground reservoirs and two water treatment plants at Jadupur and Manikunda.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com