Admn turns a deaf ear to complaints
Around one lakh people in Dhenkanal municipal area are severely facing acute water scarcity. Reportedly, the drinking water supplied by PHD here is found to be polluted at most of the places.
One Bijoy Kumar Sahu of Mahavir Bazar alleged that contaminated water was being supplied in ward 11 for last several months. Significantly, the local officials continue to pay a deaf ear to the repeated complaints.
Sources said, even though the residents of Dhenkanal town are in need of 12 MlD (million liters per day) water at the rate of 160 litres per head, the PHD under the available system is capable to supply 5 to 6 MlD water only for 45 minutes in a day. Apart from 1,325 regular and legalised connections, the residents get drinking water through 272 stand posts only, five water tankers and a few bore wells.
Sources said the PHD has submitted a project of Rs 30 crore for enhancement of the water storage system and distribution capacity for the approval of the Centre under Urban Infra Structure Development in Small and Medium Town (UIDSMT) but the project was yet to avail financial approval of both the Central and State Governments due to lack of will power of local elected representatives since last three years. The pond water does not remain fit for human consumption, as the urban body has leased out the ponds to private bidders for the purpose of fishery.