Odisha floods: People face shortage of drinking water as inundated roads halt tankers

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Odisha floods said they were facing an acute shortage of potable water and many were forced to drink floodwater after boiling it, while others feared consumption of it may cause water-borne diseases. The government, on the other hand, said it was sending water tankers to the flood-hit areas but those affected said the vehicles were not able to reach them as roads have been inundated in the deluge. Though the water levels in major rivers have come down, 75 more villages came under the grip of the deluge. A total of 6.24 lakh people have been affected in 11 districts, according to an official report on Sunday. The affected people have taken shelter in nearby schools which are surrounded by floodwaters. «My house and tube wells in our area remain submerged in floodwaters. We do not have access to potable drinking water. We are boiling floodwater and drinking it,» said 68-year-old Kalandi Barik of Santhapada village in Rajnagar block of Kendrapara district.

Over 17,000 people died in floods and heavy rains between 2012-2021: Govt

Like Barik, many other affected people are facing similar woes in the Manahandi delta region comprising Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Khurda districts. Senior Congress leader Ganeswar Behera, who has visited several areas in the flood-hit region, said that the affected people are facing many problems, and shortage of drinking water was among the biggest of those. «They are afraid of consuming floodwater fearing outbreak of water-borne diseases following the deluge,» he said. Meanwhile, a senior health official here said that the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) Department has been instructed to supply medicines to the flood affected people.

Hima