TV
At a time when the Odisha government aims to prioritise development in border regions, many villages along the Andhra Pradesh–Odisha border continue to reel under the absence of basic facilities, including the lack of proper roads and access to clean drinking water.
The condition worsens during the monsoon as muddy, slushy roads in villages like Lauduguda, Badaguda, Khapiriguda, and Ambaguda in Rayagada district turn impassable even after light rain.
Residents narrated how their footwear gets stuck in the mud and bikes skid dangerously. Sources also reported that ambulances and vehicles cannot reach during emergencies, forcing villagers to carry patients and expectant mothers on makeshift cots.
Reports added that in the Gogupadu panchayat of Ramanaguda block, villagers complain that despite repeated appeals to the administration, they have yet to receive proper roads or safe drinking water.
“We have been demanding a proper road for years, but nothing has changed. In the rains, even walking becomes risky,” said Tunu Bidika, a resident of Badaguda.
Drinking Water Woes
The drinking water situation is equally grim. Although the panchayat has a single tube well, villagers say it often goes defunct. With no piped water supply reaching the area, families are compelled to depend on streams and drains for daily needs.
"We do not have proper boring systems in the area. During summer, ponds and rivers dry up, whereas during rains, muddy and sewage water gets mixed with drinking water. We have no choice but to filter and drink this water,” said Sibi Bidika, a resident of Lauguda village.
Repeated Complaints, No Action
Reports stated that four affected villages, with over 200 families, depend on the road connecting Suludi Chhak to Badaguda. Locals here alleged that despite raising the issue at the panchayat and block level several times, no remedial measures have been taken.
"Our roads get clogged with mud during the rains. It becomes extremely difficult to shift patients, especially pregnant women, to hospitals as ambulances cannot reach us due to a lack of proper roads. Schoolchildren, too, are unable to go to school,” said Jayanti Sabar, an Anganwadi worker at Badaguda.
Administration Promises Relief
Responding to the grievances, Ramanaguda Block Development Officer (BDO) Pradyumna Mandal assured that the road construction work will start soon under the Rural Development Department. He added that efforts were also being made to resolve drinking water issues.
"The stretch from Ramanaguda to Lauguda is a border area. We are aware that the road is in bad shape, and the state government has already floated tenders to repair the same. The rural development department is undertaking the work and will complete it within the next five to six months,” informed Mandal.
