Papadahandi: Residents of Paika Sahibasinda in Papadahandi block, Nabarangpur district, blocked the road demanding drinking water. The blockade was lifted after police and administrative officials arrived and assured action.
According to reports, more than 50 families reside in Paika Sahi. The administration has installed only one tube well for the entire area. Additionally, water is supplied through pipelines under a drinking water project.
However, for the past four days, water supply to the area was stopped without any reason. As a result, women had to queue near the tube well for long hours to fetch water. Since the tube well couldn’t meet the demand, some women were forced to collect water from tube wells in nearby areas. Despite repeated complaints to the administration, no action was taken.
In protest, women from the locality placed empty pots, buckets, and containers on the road this afternoon and blocked it. The blockade also affected traffic on the national highway, causing vehicles to come to a standstill.
On receiving information, Papadahandi Police Officer Deepak Kumar Jena and Block Vice-Chairman Dr. Sushant Behera reached the spot and tried to calm the situation. Later, GPO Akshaya Pattnayak and PO Mangalu Bhatra also arrived at the scene. After the administration assured that water would be supplied through tankers immediately and pipelines would be repaired soon, the blockade was lifted.
In Papadahandi, water supply is often disrupted due to the whims of the operators. Even after informing the PO about the issue, no steps were taken, leading to public dissatisfaction. There have been widespread demands for the block administration to immediately address the issue.