Bhubaneswar: Former minister and Baramba MLA Debi Prasad Mishra faced protest from villagers while campaigning in his constituency for the 2024 Assembly polls in Odisha.

Mishra, who is now seeking re-election from Baramba seat on a BJD ticket, faced protest from the residents of Chasa Barabati village under Champeswar panchayat in Narasinghpur block over drinking water crisis yesterday.

The villagers reportedly held a demonstration by putting empty buckets and pitchers on the road to highlight the acute shortage of drinking water at Chasa Barabati.

The angry villagers also gheraoed the legislator and sought his immediate intervention to solve the water crisis in their locality.

The residents of Chasa Barabati also raised the issue of vacant posts in the local school before the Baramba MLA.

The villagers claimed that they have been depending upon a pond and a well to collect water for their daily needs.

“We have been depending upon a pond and a well to meet our requirements. We are facing severe water crisis in this summer. There are only two teachers for five classes in our village school. We raised these two issues before the MLA and sought quick solution in this regard,” said a villager.

The residents of Chasa Barabati claimed that a portion of their village has been covered under a piped drinking water project. But, the beneficiaries are yet to get regular drinking water supply through the project.

“The authorities are yet to supply drinking water to us on regular basis. Some people get the piped water while others do not. We gheraoed the MLA to raise our problems before him,” said another villager.

The villagers have threatened to boycott the polls if immediate steps are not taken to solve the drinking water crisis in the locality.

Notably Baramba Assembly seat under Cuttack Lok Sabha segment will go for polling on May 25.