Mahakalpada, Mar 19: With the onset of summer, residents across several blocks in Balasore district are facing severe drinking water shortages, prompting complaints from multiple areas. Despite large-scale projects under the Basudha and Jal Jeevan Mission, many initiatives remain incomplete, leaving communities without a reliable water supply.
Even in areas where pipeline-based water supply is operational, services have been inconsistent due to poor connections, low voltage issues, and a lack of maintenance. Additionally, groundwater levels are declining in more than half of the district’s blocks, further exacerbating the crisis. Some handpumps are delivering saline or iron-contaminated water, making it unfit for consumption.
In Rajkanika block’s Parinua Pada and Habalaganda panchayats, around 30 families comprising nearly 200 people are struggling to meet their daily water needs. Residents are forced to collect water late at night or early morning from two functional handpumps, while others remain insufficient for the population.
Authorities have responded by deploying two mobile water treatment units to purify river water, which is then transported via six tractor-tankers to affected villages, benefitting approximately 16,944 people. All handpumps, pipelines, and PWSS (Piped Water Supply Schemes) in the district are being inspected and repaired through mobile teams. So far, maintenance work on 17,807 handpumps, 425 PWSS units, 65 solar PWSS units, and 187 solar dual-pump units has been completed.
Additionally, 17 new handpumps have been installed in crisis-hit areas, and 30 villages have been identified as water-scarce zones. Measures to enhance water quality include deepening selected handpumps and reinforcing tank services to meet the growing summer demand.
During a review meeting, the District Collector emphasized the need for timely action, proper monitoring, and preparedness to address water issues. Officers from various departments have been instructed to ensure a swift and sustainable resolution to the crisis.
