The rural drinking water supply in Odisha is apparently in deep waters. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) audit has revealed how the drinking water schemes are in a messy state and the targets under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) have been widely missed out.
The CAG audit has revealed how rural Odisha was left high and dry in hot summer as not only the water supply is non-existent in many habitations but also was grossly deficient in most of them. The reason is, the CAG reveals, the Odisha Government defied the NRDWP guidelines and not bothered to form 5-year comprehensive village water-security plan or district water security plan. Nor did the State bother to make priority district list.
According to the CAG audit report on General and Social Sector for the year ended on March 2017 that was released on Thursday, when the Centre under the NRDWP has set a target of providing 50 per cent of households under piped water supply by 2017, the compliance report shows that Odisha has fared poorly by accomplishing a mere 25 per cent of the target.
As per the NRDWP strategic plan for 2011-22, Odisha had to bring a whopping 1.58 lakh habitations under piped water supply (PWS), but the achievement was mere 0.40lakh till 2017.
Similarly, when the target was to bring 35 per cent of households under water connections, Odisha could accomplish mere 3.7 per cent of the target by 2017.
The State Government could provide connections to mere 3lakh households of over 81 lakh. Moreover, State’s 23 per cent Anganwadis are still without water, finds the CAG report.
A detailed district-wise look reveals that Dhenkanal is the worst as only 13 per cent habitations in the district have piped water supply.
Kandhamal and Gajapati followed with around 16 and 19 per cent connections, respectively.
Nuapada, where water quality affected habitations are high, have PWS in only around 20 per cent.
All water-deficit districts in Odisha like Balangir, Nabarangpur, Rayagada and Kalahandi have PWS to below one-third of total habitations.
The CAG has revealed that a whopping 92,456 habitations in Odisha were receiving inadequate water supply round the year.
The CAG has estimated the figures post taking into account the norm of 55litres per capita per day (lpcd) as envisaged by the Centre under the Strategic Plan of 2011-22. While the State Government considered fully covered habitations as those getting 40lpcd as against the norm of 55lpcd by the new Strategic Plan, the CAG finds that a high of around 76,183 habitations though shown as fully covered, were found receiving less than 55lpcd.
A high of 3,080 other habitations were found to be getting quality affected water, which in other words, water with poisonous elements like fluoride and arsenic, etc.
However, the tragic part of the story is in a reply to the CAG, the Odisha Government couldn’t give a fixed timeline in ensuring PWS as it vaguely indicated the CAG to achieve the target in next 2-3years time.
Interestingly, when the BJD Government at the State and the NDA regime at the Centre were at loggerheads over distribution of Central funds, the shocker delivered by the CAG is while the Centre has released its share-funds under the NRDWP, the State didn’t release its share timely, and despite the provision that any delay would attract penal interest at 12 per cent per annum, the State didn’t bother to foot the penalty. The result: Execution of projects suffered.