Water scarcity leaves youths unmarried in this Odisha Village!

Acute water shortage has been affecting daily life in Badabarli village of Nabarangpur district, leaving many young men unmarried and forcing married women to abandon their in-laws’ houses.

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The villagers are compelled to fetch drinking water from a distant spring 1.5 kilometres away due to the failure of local hand pumps and the lack of a water body. The long-planned mega water supply project remains unrealised, exacerbating the crisis.

Around 80 young men in the village have yet to marry because of the dire circumstances, and women often leave their husbands shortly after marriage.

Plight of a resident from Badabarli village

A local resident Raisingh Nayak shared his frustrations stating that his responsibilities have become insurmountable without essential water access. Without relief, many women are compelled to retreat to their parental homes.

Despite appeals to district authorities and political leaders, over 200 families in this community are still awaiting solutions. They have even threatened mass protests if the issue is not addressed.

According to panchayat officials, the village is designated a water scarcity red zone. The stalled mega project is attributed to delays by the National Highways department.

While roads and electricity are available, the absence of a reliable water source significantly hampers the village's welfare. Villagers endure a two-kilometre journey to access pure drinking water from a neighbouring village.

The residents hope for a swift resolution to this acute water crisis.

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When contacted, RWSS Superintending Engineer Prateek Kumar Rout expressed, “A mega drinking water project has been delayed due to the permission required to cross a road (for laying pipeline). We have targeted to complete the project by June this year, which will benefit the residents of at least 50 villages under Papadahandi block.”