Odisha village suffers water scarcity way before summer, sparks unrest among women

Daringbadi, Feb 20: With water crisis already starting to affect several villages, Gargabadi village under the Daringbadi Panchayat of Odisha’s Kandhmal district is witnessing severe water scarcity sparking conflicts among residents, especially women, on a daily.

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Located just 1.5 kilometers from the block and Panchayat headquarters, Gargabadi is home to around 40 families and has only one functional tube well as its sole source of drinking water. There are no wells or other water sources, forcing residents to rely entirely on this single tube well for all their needs, including drinking, cooking, and sanitation.

Every morning, people form beeline at the tube well to collect water. The competition for water often leads to heated arguments and disputes among them. Further worsening the situation, the tube well does not provide a continuous supply of water—after filling just two buckets, it stops working for a while before releasing more water. This erratic flow forces women to wait for long hours, severely affecting their daily chores and work schedules.

Adding to their woes, the official water supply in the village is highly inadequate. Even when arrangements are made, water is provided only once a week for a mere 2-4 minutes, making it impossible for villagers to collect sufficient water.

Frustrated by the ongoing crisis, the women of the village are demanding immediate action from authorities. They have urged the administration to install at least two more tube wells to ease their suffering and ensure a more stable water supply.

With the summer heat intensifying, residents fear the situation will worsen if timely measures are not taken. The villagers are now looking to the local administration for urgent intervention to resolve this pressing issue.