BARIPADA: With the summer drawing close, residents of two villages on the foothills of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Baripada district have already started facing water shortage issues.
Residents of the villages, Govindpur and Lulung under Shyamakhunta block, are forced to fetch water from streams flowing through the foothills of the STR, as water from tube wells is contaminated with a reddish hue, allegedly due to faulty boring or a depleted groundwater level.
About 1,400 people reside in Ward 5 and 6 of Govindpur village and 319 people reside in Lulung village. However, the villagers are yet to get basic facilities, including drinking water and road connectivity.
Despite frequent requests to the block development officer of Shyamakhunta and district administration, no effort was so far made to address their two major issues, they said.
Residents of Lulung village claimed that though a tube-well was installed there, it pumps out red-coloured water, making it unfit for use. Similarly, two tube-wells in two wards of Govindpur also pump red-coloured water, residents alleged. They claimed that although they informed the block authorities about the issue, it is yet to be resolved.
In fact, a hydram project was built in the village by Baripada minor irrigation department to meet water needs. However, it has remained defunct for the past 10 years. Residents claimed that the dam was not properly maintained by the authorities.
Apart from water shortage issues, the road to Lulung village is in such a bad condition that it is difficult for even ambulance to reach the village in case of emergency. Last year, the forest department had repaired the road before the Similipal Tiger Reserve opened for tourists, but it has since deteriorated again, residents claimed.
They added that no special funds have been allocated for the construction of the road so far. Block development officer Muna Sethy stated that the forest department has taken over the road construction project. He further assured that the water crisis in the villages would be resolved by March.