Odisha: Refused entry in neighbouring village amid rising Covid cases, women cry for water

JAGATSINGHPUR:  After facing restrictions to enter neighbouring villages to fetch water in the wake of rising Covid-19 cases, a large number of women from Baramunduli panchayat in Balikuda block of the district staged a protest demanding safe drinking water at Talgaon village on Sunday.

They demanded the district administration to supply water through tankers as the villagers are reeling under an acute water crisis.

Women from Birihapada, Patrapada, Dasbatia, Talgaon and other villages of Baramunduli said amid acute shortage of drinking water in their areas, they had to go nearby villages to fetch water but their entry has been restricted as other villagers are wary of virus spread. The neighbouring villagers did not allow  them to take water from the tube-wells, wells and sumps, they alleged. 

While the lockdown has imposed restrictions on movement, locals including women from water-scarce villages are forced to go to other nearby areas to get water. There are many such villages in Erasama and Balikuda blocks which grapple with water scarcity, specially during summers. Sources said villagers of Baramunduli were benefiting from Shova pipeline project in Khalgaon panchayat, about 5 km away. But frequent power cuts, water theft and unnecessary discharge from standposts have resulted in water not reaching tail-end areas. Consequently, people from these areas traveled almost 2 km daily to nearby  Kusupur panchayat for safe drinking water. 

“I travelled 2 km on my cycle to get a bucket of water from the nearby village but returned empty-handed as villagers there opposed,” said 65-year-old Bipin Tarik of Talgaon village. Aggrieved women like Anima Das, Netramani Biswal, Sulochana Biswal and Parbati Barik, who also travel over 2 km to fetch water from Bahakana village,said they too faced similar resistance by villagers. We demand the district administration to provide us water through tankers, they said.

On the other hand, Kusupur Sarpanch Mamata Manjari Hati said villagers are panicked after two migrant workers returned recently and tested Covid positive. “However, I am not aware of villagers restricting outsiders from taking water from tube wells or sumps in Bahakana. I will try and convince them not to do so,” she said. Baramunduli Sarpanch Niranjan Panda also admitted to the acute scarcity of water in villages as most come under tail-end points of supply systems. “Steps are being taken to supply water through tankers so that women do not have to depend on other villages,” he added.