Around 750 villagers belonging to ST community have been facing acute drinking water scarcity for the last few years during the summer.
The parched villagers have no other option but to walk for one and a half km to collect drinking water from small pits on dry bed of Brahmani Gadia, a pond situated near Koluapata on the outskirts of the village.
As the groundwater level has drastically gone down, the villagers have dug five small pits which are the only sources to meet their needs.
The villagers alleged that though the district administration had set up a drinking water project under Swajaldhara scheme at an estimated cost of `65 lakh two years back, it has failed to supply due to lack of adequate depth of the boring, low motor capacity for pumping water and depletion in groundwater level for the last three months.
Similarly, four tubewells set up by the Government in the village have failed to provide water in the summer due to depletion of groundwater, said Gangadhar Nayak, a villager.
As a result, the tribal women of Rajeev Nagar have to walk one and a half km to fetch water from the pits.
“After collecting water from the pits, we purify it by filtering or boiling,” said 45-year-old Kamala Gochhi.
Junior Engineer of RWSS Baishnab Mallik said due to depletion of groundwater, both the tubewells and drinking water projects are not functioning.
However, the under construction project at Nistipur village will meet the water demand once it is operational, he added.
Sarpanch of Kuspangi panchayat Pushpalata Parida has urged the administration to provide drinking water to Rajeev Nagar village through tankers.