JAGATSINGHPUR: The long and arduous walk for water has already started for women of Jagatsinghpur district. Every day, women of Balikuda block have to walk up to 2 to 3 km to fetch drinking water.
In Kusupur panchayat under Balikuda block, eight villages are yet to be covered under the piped water supply scheme and water to these villages is supplied through a water tanker that is filled up in Shova village, located 25 km from Kusupur panchayat. These villages are Dandabedi, Chhagharia, Kusupur, Athagharia, Naupal, Kariabili, Khadikadanada and Amarapat. Though there are tubewells in the villages, these pump out saline water. However, water being supplied through the tanker does not suffice the entire panchayat. The tanker has a capacity of one lakh litre.
At Athagharia village, women walk for at least 2 km by crossing a rickety bamboo bridge over Balijori river to reach Balijori village from where they collect water from a tubewell for drinking and other needs.
Water of Balijori river is saline and unfit for consumption, said Sundari Dei, who walks down to Balijori every day for water. “There is no safe drinking water in the village. We have appealed to the local government officials to look into the problem, but in vain,” she added. Sometimes, women also dig up the dry river bank to collect water.
Balikuda Block Development Officer Rudranarayan Mohanty said a meeting was conducted recently with engineers of Panchayatiraj Department and RWSS to make alternative arrangement to provide safe drinking water to Kusupur panchayat. Drinking water will be provided to five water-stressed panchayats under Balikuda block soon, he added.