BARIPADA: Vehicular movement between Baripada and Nilagiri via Udala was disrupted for several hours on Tuesday as residents of Poda Astia in Mayurbhanj’s Shamakhunta blocked the state highway-19 protesting irregular supply of drinking water to their village.
An agitator Bhularam Singh alleged that earlier, the RWSS authorities used to supply water to the village through pipeline. But for the last some months, the water supply has been stopped. Adding to the woes, the lone tube-well in the village has become defunct since the last couple of months.
Though villagers approached the local block development officer and RWSS officials in this regard, no steps were reportedly taken to restore the water supply. Another agitator Malati Singh claimed the RWSS officials had assured to address the problem at the earliest. When the problem persisted, villagers met officials of Shamakhunta block. Months have passed but the residents continue to suffer due to lack of water, alleged Singh.
Later on the day, Sadar police and zilla parishad (ZP) president Bharati Hansdah rushed to the spot and held discussion with the agitating villagers. Hansdah admitted that due to lack of enough pressure in the pipeline, only a few families of the village are getting water.
The road blockade was lifted after Hansdah arranged three water tankers for the villagers. The ZP president also assured to set up a solar-powered water supply system in the village within two days.
Hundreds of vehicles were stranded on both sides of the highway due to the blockade which lasted for over five hours.