Upset over the administration’s apathetic attitude in solving the water scarcity, hundreds of people, particularly a large number of women, on Monday forced two Government officials to walk down to witness their problems in Wards 14, 17 and 18 of the Dhenkanal Municipality.
The aggrieved people forced Executive Engineer (EE) Mrutyunjay Pani and Junior Engineer (JE) Ashok Kumar Mishra of the municipality to walk around seven km in the three wards and showed them the defunct tube-wells.
The protestors even manhandled the officials.
“We have been appealing to the municipality and the district administration for drinking water to us since a long. But nobody bothers. Today, we came to meet the Municipality Executive Engineer. After a long wait, he came and misbehaved with us,” said an agitating woman.
Enraged over the behaviour, the protestors dragged out the EE and the JE from the office and made the duo walk with them to witness the problem.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer Pani said water would be provided to the wards through tanker now.
“I have directed the Assistant Engineer to bring the water from Housing Board through pipe via Chandanbazaar. If the process takes time then we will provide water to the people through tankers,” said Pani.