KENDRAPARA: An acute shortage of safe drinking water has compounded the misery of nearly two lakh flood-affected residents in Kendrapara district. The crisis has hit villages in Rajkanika, Aul and Pattamundai blocks.
With hand pumps submerged under stagnant floodwater, villagers said the few functioning tube wells were dispensing contaminated water, raising fears of water-borne diseases. Many residents alleged that adequate supplies of safe drinking water had not reached marooned areas despite the worsening situation.
“The biggest problem is drinking water. Rescue boats are the only means of reaching the main road,” said Prasan Behera (43) of Mandapada village in Pattamundai block. Jagannath Mallick (45) of Nimpur village in the same block said his family had lost its home and crops in the floods and was now desperately in need of drinking water.
Residents said the contamination of water sources had made cooking impossible, forcing many families to survive on dry food such as flattened rice, puffed rice and biscuits. Sahadev Rout (34) of Panasaganda village in Rajkanika block said polluted floodwater had left villagers with no option but to avoid cooked meals.
The shortage of food, baby food, medicines and clean drinking water has particularly affected children, elderly people, pregnant women and the sick. Villagers warned that continued consumption of contaminated water could trigger outbreaks of water-borne diseases. Sangram Barik, sarpanch of Sasana village in Pattamundai block, said access to clean drinking water remained the most pressing concern in the flood-hit villages.
Thousands of displaced residents have taken shelter in schools, cyclone shelters, on river embankments and other elevated locations after losing their homes, livestock and belongings.
Sasmita Sethi, sarpanch of Srirampur village under Pattamundai block said affected families were in urgent need of food and potable water.
In Balisahi village under Rajkanika block, women were reportedly walking nearly one kilometre along an embankment to collect water from a partially submerged tube well. Bhikari Nayak (72) of Patrapur village in Aul block said around 24 families had taken shelter on a river embankment after floodwaters submerged their homes. However, they were facing severe shortages of food, drinking water and toilet facilities, with women bearing the brunt of the hardship.
Kendrapara collector Raghuram R Iyer said health teams are distributing drinking water, halogen tablets and medicines in the affected areas, while the RWSS department had been instructed to intensify the supply of potable water through water tankers.
