A BJP team, on the advice of State president Basant Panda, visited Hatichapal village in Keonjhar district on Tuesday, where two children had reportedly died consuming contaminated pond water.
After the visit, the team said in a statement that many of the villagers have been consuming infected water of the lone village pond as there is no other source of water. While two children have died, many are suffering from various water-borne diseases and malnutrition.
Their body resistance power is also debilitating, alleged the team.
They demanded that the State Government provide Rs 2 lakh to the kin of the each deceased child and basic needs to the villagers soon.
The members also alleged that the Anganwadi Centres are also not working in Hatichapala village. Though the village comes under Rural Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra’s district, still it is underdeveloped,” they said.
Former MlAs Bishnu Sethi and Bhagirathy Sethi, Rajkishore Das, former MP Anant Nayak, Golaka Mohaptra and Gourahari Nayak were in the team.
They also met the Keonjhar district Collector and apprised him about the findings.