Though Champua is rich in mines and minerals but the people living in the surrounding villages are very poor and are deprived of the basic of amenities of life.
Bhagalpur village situated in the Birikala panchayat under Joda block is such a village that is beset with a whole range of problems. The population of the village is around 500. All are adivasi people of Munda (Kolha) community. They earn their livelihood by working in the nearby factories and mines after their land was acquired by the companies. Their main problem is that there is no facility of drinking water.
However, three years back, while acquiring the land of the villagers for their plants, Crackers India limited had been supplying drinking water to the village through pipe by digging a deep bore well. But after work of the plant was stopped, water supply also was stopped since last September.
Similarly out of the two tube wells donated by Tata Sponge Iron, one tube well is defunct and the other is giving very less amount of water which is quiet insufficient to the need of the entire village. So the villagers are using polluted water of Balita stream flowing nearly 300 metres down of the village.
The villagers are suffering from many water-borne diseases like dysentery, jaundice, diarrhoea and cholera. Their condition is likely to get worse after the advent of dry season.The RWSS has closed eyes to the apathy of the tribal people. In this regard, the people have complained before Birkala sarapanch several times but in vain.“If immediate action is not taken by the Government, the people will resort to agitation,” warned Messer Kishan Munda, Bagun Munda, Mutka Munda, Malti Bewa and others.