Nabarangpur: The city of Nabarangpur is allegedly receiving unsafe drinking water. For a long time, the Public Health Department has been supplying turbid water to the residents. As a result, cases of cold, cough, fever, and skin diseases have been increasing.
Making these allegations, the Nabarangpur Citizens’ Committee inspected the Indravati Riverbank-based drinking water purification project today under the leadership of Committee President Jagannath Mohapatra. Accompanied by Secretary Pradeep Sahu, Joint Secretary Kishore Pattnayak, Treasurer Srinivas Patra, and members Jagannath Baghe and Barun Nayak, the team investigated the source of water intake and the purification process.
During the inspection, it was found that raw water was being drawn directly from the river. However, upstream, people were bathing, defecating, and dumping garbage into the river. Furthermore, dead cattle and animal carcasses were seen floating, raising concerns about water contamination. The committee suspected that such contaminants might be mixing with the drinking water supply.
Additionally, cremation ashes, dust, and other waste materials were being dumped into the river near cremation grounds. Based on these findings, the committee has demanded that the water be tested for potability before being supplied to the public. They also suggested reverting to the earlier practice of supplying drinking water from deep borewells.
Currently, 8 million liters of drinking water are supplied daily to the city. Considering public health, the committee has urged authorities to ensure a safe and purified drinking water supply. However, when contacted, Public Health Department’s Junior Engineer Ranjit Ray denied the allegations made by the Citizens’ Committee.