Odisha: Drinking water crisis in Chilika block as piped supply remains disrupted

Chilika: With piped water supply disrupted for days, residents of several villages in Chilika block of Odisha's Khordha district are facing an acute drinking water crisis as hundreds of families struggle to access safe water.

As per reports, Rahanabeli village, which comes under Ankula panchayat, has not received piped water for nearly three months. Meanwhile, water supply to Samantasingharpur and Kaluri villages has remained suspended for around 15 days due to a burnt motor at the pump facility. With most parts of the block located close to Chilika Lake, water from wells, ponds and even many tube wells is saline and unsuitable for drinking. Consequently, people in the region depend almost entirely on the piped water supply for their daily needs.

Residents blame pipeline leaks, illegal bypass connections

However, for the past several days residents of villages such as Rahanabelli, Kaluri, Nairi and Kumandal have been deprived of water due to operational problems. Locals alleged that while everyone relies on the same supply line, some individuals have created illegal bypass connections to divert water directly to their homes, disrupting supply to other households. Sources said the contractor has not undertaken repair work as the department is yet to clear his pending dues from the previous year.

Last year, a similar situation had arisen when residents of Ghiakhala village locked the Khandualkot pump house in protest against irregular water supply. Following the agitation, the administration had arranged tanker water supply to the affected areas.

When contacted, Junior Engineer Basudev Satpathy said the villagers themselves had decided to stop the water supply after holding a meeting. However, locals rejected the claim, alleging that pipeline leakages and multiple illegal bypass connections are the actual reasons behind the disruption.

Regarding the damaged motor, Satpathy stated that it had been repaired on Thursday. However, sources said the motor is yet to be fixed. The contractor, when contacted, said the repair work is expected to be completed by Friday. Assistant Engineer Ranjan Ghadei said he would discuss the matter with the junior engineer and take necessary steps to resolve the issue and restore the water supply.

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