Jharsuguda stares at water crisis

JHARSUGUDA: Jharsuguda district is heading for a severe drinking water crisis in the coming months as six mega water supply projects have failed to take off. To add to the woes, water sources in the region have also started drying up as summer approaches.Water scarcity in the district is not new and more importantly, in Brajrajnagagr area, where because of coal mining, water level depletes due to coal mines. In order to tackle the perennial problem, the district administration had decided to set up three water supply projects in Jharsuguda and Brajrajnagar Assembly constituencies. 

While it was decided to construct four water supply projects with an estimated cost of `391.41 crore for 42 panchayats of Jharsuguda, Kolabira, Kirimira and Laikera blocks, a `101.13 crore project was planned for 16 panchayats of Lakhanpur block. Similarly, another water supply project was proposed at a cost of `110.14 crore for 17 panchayats of Lakhanpur block in Brajrajnagar constituency.

A review meeting was conducted in September last year in the presence of all sitting MLAs of the district to speed up the projects. In January, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik laid the foundation stones for four water supply projects. But the projects have not moved beyond paper works for tender.

As per report, of 225 villages in Jharsuguda block, 22 have been identified as water crisis affected area. At present, 25 water supply projects in Jharsuguda, 17 in Kirmira, 27 in Kolabira and 30 in Laikera are operational. This apart, at least 61 persons depend on one tubewell in Jharsuguda block, 51 villagers in Kirmira and Kolabira blocks and 47 in Laikera block.

Similarly, 234 tubewells were set up in 2018-19 against 186 in 2017-18 fiscal, sources said. Sub-Divisional Officer of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Subhasish Das said once commissioned, these projects will benefit lakhs of villagers in the water-stressed district. 

Delayed Plans 6
water supply projects`391.41 cr
for four projects in 4 blocks`101.13 cr
for 16 panchayats of Lakhanpur `110.14 crfor 17 panchayats