No roads, no electricity: Dalak village in Cuttack still awaits development

Dalak village, located in Narsinghpur block of Cuttack district, Odisha, faces significant challenges due to a lack of basic infrastructure. Accessing the village requires residents and visitors to first travel a dirt road, then cross several small waterfalls and brooks before finally reaching Dalak. The absence of motorable roads makes it difficult for vehicles to access the area, hindering emergency services from reaching the village promptly.

As per the sources, the village also lacks an electricity connection, and despite the installation of solar lights, they remain non-functional. Most homes in the village have no access to piped water, and there are only two solar pumps installed for drinking water. While one remains inoperable, the other is dependent on sunlight. Local villagers are left in the dark after sunset, as there is no alternative power source.

Sharing his frustrations, a local villager Kapila Jani said, “Our forefathers have been living in this village for the last 100 years, and we have never experienced any basic amenities throughout our lives. We lack roads, the authorities did not build a pond despite multiple requests, and we do not get immediate medical assistance. Ambulances cannot reach here in time due to the lack of motorable roads.”

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Rani Jani, another local voiced her displeasure saying, “Everything has been problematic in this village. There is no availability of basic amenities like electricity, school, and teachers. More than half the population is illiterate. There is no Anganwadi in this village either. The government is not taking initiatives to resolve the issues here, nor are they doing anything to relocate us.”

Education in Dalak is particularly challenging, as children must travel up to 15 kilometers to reach the nearest school, traversing difficult forest paths and dirt roads, reportedly. Even the nearest Anganwadi centre is 8 kilometers away. Due to these obstacles, most children are unable to attend school, leaving them illiterate. Despite the regular requests and demands by the villagers to provide these basic amenities, the authorities do not take action to address them, as per the claims of the villagers.

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Srikant Pradhan, local resident raised his concerns and said, “The kids from our village lack basic education. They begin going to school only after the age of ten. Usually, education starts at the age of four or five. This is the only village under the Cuttack district that lacks these basic amenities. We request the government to provide motorable roads, electricity, and an Anganwadi.”

Responding to the complaints, Usharani Jena, the Narsinghpur ABDO, said, “We have included several projects in the action plan for the development of Dalak village. Providing drinking water through solar pumps and motorable roads are the main priorities in the action plan, and we will take every possible step to develop Dalak village. Regarding the opening of a school in the area, I will need to discuss it further with other authorities.”