KENDRAPARA: Disgruntled over non-supply of drinking water to their areas, residents of five villages under Marsaghai block on Thursday locked the intake well office of the RWSS Kendrapara division at Talasanga and sat on dharna as a mark of protest.
The protest was staged by residents of Sasanipada, Talasanga, Bhusaranga, Manikipur, and Khamagan villages. They complained that the RWSS division had been supplying drinking water in around 40 villages through the intake well since the last two years but is yet to lay pipelines for the same in their localities. “We had urged the RWSS authorities several times to supply potable water to our villages through pipelines or tankers but they paid no heed. Due to lack of safe drinking water, we are left with no other option but to lift water from polluted wells and ponds,” said Pratap Behera of Bhusaranga village.
Similarly, Abhay Sahoo of Talasanga village said owing to the acute water crisis, women and children have to travel long distances and stand in queues to lift water from tube wells. “Since no steps are being taken to address our concern, we decided to stage protest,” he said.
RWSS executive engineer, Kendrapara Basant Nayak said the department had constructed an intake well at Talasanga village to lift water from Luna river and supply it through pipelines in nearby villages. “However, we could not lay pipelines in riverside villages of the Talasanga gram panchayat as construction work of a bridge was underway. Since the bridge construction work was completed three months back, we will lay pipelines in these villages soon,” he added.