'No water supply': Toilets in less than 30% Odisha rural houses, mostly 'not in use'

By A Representative
Various areas of Kandhamal district in Odisha are experiencing acute water shortage and infrastructure woes adding to the problems of the people, reveals a recent study on Water availability and sources” conducted by non-profit Atmashakti Trust and its allies Odisha Shramajeebee Mancha , Mahila Shramajeebee Mancha, Odisha and Jeebika Suraksha Mancha, Kandhamal.
Conducted online that covered 304 villages under 15 Gram Panchayats of Kotagada block of Kandhamal, the survey result found that erratic and inadequate water supply has made life difficult for the people living on hilly and remote areas of the district and recommends immediate repair of water structure/infrastructure to meet water needs of these communities.
Odisha has set a target to cover all rural households to have access to safe and adequate drinking water at their doorsteps by 2024. A whopping Rs 50,000 crore is projected to be spent under different schemes and projects to ensure the same. However, the survey results from Kotagada block urges immediate and time bound implementation of government schemes to ensure access to safe water for all.

Survey findings

In 304 surveyed villages, there are 604 tube-wells, out of which 215 (35.6%) tube-wells are not in usable condition due to defunct structures, iron contaminated water & water scarcity. It is contrary to the official data of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department which claims that all tube-wells are functioning properly.
The study report says that out of 604 tube wells, only 49 (8%) tube wells have Proper sock pits and 272 (45%) tube wells have no platform.
Out of 304 villages, only 54 (17.76%)villages have a solar tank from which 22 (40.7%) are running and remaining are 32(59.3%) in defunct conditions due to problems in the motor pump, groundwater level & damage of the stand-post.
As many as 174 (57.2%) villages depended on dug-wells but in summer due to the depletion of groundwater level the villagers are facing problems and in other 109 (35.85) villages due to muddy water during the rainy season the villagers are enduring for drinking water.
Only 85 (28%) villages have a drainage system in their villages, from the total 22 (25.88%) villages' drainage structures are defunct and 28 (33%) villages' drainage structures are partially damaged and not functioning well.

In all, 226 (74.3%) villages are getting contaminated water like Muddy and Iron water which is not drinkable. As a fall out of this, water-borne diseases among communities such as Diarrhea is a common case in these communities. Secondly, communities often rely on the rain water but it may carry varying contaminants from the surfaces on which it lands. In fact, rainwater can carry bacteria, parasites, viruses, and chemicals that make humans sick.
“Access to safe and clean water is a basic necessity to meet water needs and has a correlative impact to combat malnutrition. The government has a provision of installing a bore-well for every 200 to 250 populations but in tribal areas, people live scattered. So, even if bore wells are available, they can hardly access water due to distance”, said Nityananda Thanapati, Programme Manager of Atmashakti Trust.
“Since we have been working to combat malnutrition in Kotagada since 2018, we believe that it cannot be combated until the lack of access to safe water is addressed” , he added.
Kotagada block has over 18,000 households with a population of nearly 60,000. The study which covered all households in the block revealed that only 5,008 (28%) households have constructed toilets in their houses, out of which only 1,536 (31%) of them are using toilets. The findings reveal that the major reason for not using toilets by communities is mainly due to the lack of available water and damaged toilet structures.

Comments

Modi’s Israel visit strengthened Pakistan’s hand in US–Iran truce: Ex-Indian diplomat

By Jag Jivan M. K. Bhadrakumar , a career diplomat with three decades of service in postings across the former Soviet Union, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Germany, and Turkey, has warned that the current truce in the US–Iran war is “fragile and ridden with contradictions.” Writing in his blog India Punchline , Bhadrakumar argues that while Pakistan has emerged as a surprising broker of dialogue, the durability of the ceasefire remains uncertain.

Incarceration of Prof Saibaba 'revives' the question: What is crime, who is criminal?

By Kunal Pant* In 2016, a Supreme Court Judge asked the state of Maharashtra, “Do you want to extract a pound of flesh?” The statement was directed against the state for contesting the bail plea of Delhi University Professor GN Saibaba. Saibaba was arrested in 2014, a justification for which was to prevent him from committing what the police called “anti-national activities.”

Why Indo-Pak relations have been on 'knife’s edge' , hostilities may remain for long

By Utkarsh Bajpai* The past few decades have seen strides being made in all aspects of life – from sticks and stones to weaponry. The extreme case of this phenomenon has been nuclear weapons. The menace caused by nuclear weapons in the past is unforgettable. Images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki from 1945 come to mind, after the United States dropped two atomic bombs on the cities.

Manufacturing, services: India's low-skill, middle-skill labour remains underemployed

By Francis Kuriakose* The Indian economy was in a state of deceleration well before Covid-19 made its impact in early 2020. This can be inferred from the declining trends of four important macroeconomic variables that indicate the health of the economy in the last quarter of 2019.

Food security? Gujarat govt puts more than 5 lakh ration cards in the 'silent' category

By Pankti Jog* A new statistical report uploaded by the Gujarat government on the national food security portal shows that ensuring food security for the marginalized community is still not a priority of the state. The statistical report, uploaded on December 24, highlights many weaknesses in implementing the National Food Security Act (NFSA) in state.

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Lata Mangeshkar, a Dalit from Devdasi family, 'refused to sing a song' about Ambedkar

By Pramod Ranjan* An artist is known and respected for her art. But she is equally, or even more so known and respected for her social concerns. An artist's social concerns or in other words, her worldview, give a direction and purpose to her art. History remembers only such artists whose social concerns are deep, reasoned and of durable importance. Lata Mangeshkar (28 September 1929 – 6 February 2022) was a celebrated playback singer of the Hindi film industry. She was the uncrowned queen of Indian music for over seven decades. Her popularity was unmatched. Her songs were heard and admired not only in India but also in Pakistan, Bangladesh and many other South Asian countries. In this article, we will focus on her social concerns. Lata lived for 92 long years. Music ran in her blood. Her father also belonged to the world of music. Her two sisters, Asha Bhonsle and Usha Mangeshkar, are well-known singers. Lata might have been born in Indore but the blood of a famous Devdasi family...

'Batteries now cheap enough for solar to meet India's 90% demand': Expert quotes Ember study

By A Representative Shankar Sharma, Power & Climate Policy Analyst, has urged India’s top policymakers to reconsider the financial and ecological implications of the country’s energy transition strategy in light of recent global developments. In a letter dated April 10, 2026, addressed to the Union Ministers of Finance, Power, New & Renewable Energy, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and the Vice Chair of NITI Aayog, with a copy to the Prime Minister, Sharma highlighted concerns over India’s ambitious plans for coal gasification and the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

Health Day ads spark row as NAPi targets Britannia campaign, criticizes celebrity endorsement

By A Representative The advocacy group Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest (NAPi) has raised concerns over what it describes as misleading advertising of ultra-processed food products (UPFs), particularly those high in sugar, fat and salt, calling for stricter regulations and an end to such promotions across media platforms.

Search This Blog