Villagers hail Govt’s nod to water project

JAGATSINGHPUR: People of villages under Balikuda and Erasama blocks have welcomed the State Government’s nod to pipe water supply project in these areas. The presence of fluoride in the underground water pumped through tube wells had led to a severe crisis of potable water in these villages.

According to sources, the State Cabinet had approved the drinking water supply project last Wednesday. The Government had decided to spend `137 crore for laying of pipelines. The Chennai unit of Larsen and Toubro will undertake the project work in Jagatsinghpur district.The project is likely to end the water crisis in at least 64 villages under 11 panchayats of Balikuda block and 57 villages of 12 panchayats of Erasama block, having a population of 1, 11,188.

Water will be drawn from Devi river near Devidola under Naugaon block. The pipeline will be laid at Erasama and it will pass through Balikuda block, where it will also cover Balibhanuri Chowk on Jagatsinghpur-Machgaon road.

Thereafter, the pipeline will be bifurcated near Borikina to reach the villages under both the blocks.
Meanwhile, the chairman of Balikuda block Madhusmita Sahu said women in these villages cover a distance of 3 to 5 km everyday to fetch water for their households. Interestingly, the villagers claimed that several marriage proposals were refused after the families from other region learnt about the prevailing water crisis.“Our  MLA Prasant Muduli’s effort in pressurising the State Government for the project’s approval is praiseworthy,” the villagers said.