Bhubaneswar: Concern over the availability of safe drinking water in rural Odisha echoed in the Assembly on Tuesday as legislators across party lines urged the government to take urgent steps ahead of the summer season.
Raising the issue during Question Hour, members from the ruling and opposition benches flagged water scarcity and contamination concerns in several parts of the state.
BJP MLA Manoranjan Dyan Samantara initiated the discussion, highlighting the lack of safe drinking water in three panchayats under his Chikiti constituency. He said that while the previous government had not taken steps to address the issue, the current government has arranged water supply through tankers.
However, he stressed that a permanent solution is required and pointed out that a proposed mega drinking water project in the area is yet to begin work on its intake well.
BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik also raised concern over reports of increasing cases of cancer and kidney-related ailments in Dasarathpur block of Jajpur district, allegedly linked to the consumption of contaminated tube-well water. She sought clarification from the government on whether it was aware of the situation and what steps were being taken to ensure safe drinking water in the region.
Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Rama Chandra Kadam alleged that the state government has failed to ensure safe drinking water for rural residents. He claimed that several parts of the state are facing water scarcity, which has triggered public resentment against elected representatives.
Kadam asked the government to clarify when the ongoing mega drinking water projects will be completed and when safe drinking water will reach every household.
Replying to the questions, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik said the previous government had dug around 26,000 tube-wells during its entire tenure, while the current government has dug the same number within one year.
His reply triggered a brief ruckus in the House as ruling and opposition members engaged in a war of words.
Naik informed the Assembly that the government has already provided tap water connections to more than 68 lakh households, covering around 77 per cent of rural homes in the state.
He said the government has taken up 207 mega drinking water supply projects across Odisha to ensure safe and adequate water supply to rural households. Of these, 26 projects have been completed and another 28 are expected to be completed by the end of this month.
“We have set a target to complete all the remaining projects by March 2027,” the minister said.
He also noted that due to improper planning in the past, the intake wells — the source points for water — had to be shifted in about 18 projects.
Regarding concerns over contaminated water in Dasarathpur, Naik said the government is aware of the issue and informed that the mega drinking water project in the area is nearing completion, with 96 per cent of the work already done. The project is expected to be completed by June.
The minister appealed to legislators from all parties to cooperate with the government to expedite the implementation of pending drinking water projects.
