Chhattisgarh: Puspal locals forced to drink dirty water amid crisis

Even after seven decades of Independence, the condition of the people in rural parts of the backward states such as Chhattisgarh is worst. Paderpani Para hamlet at Puspal village in Jagdalpur district is still struggling for access to a basic survival need- safe drinking water.

Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh): Seven decades of Independence and other progress notwithstanding, the poor and marginalised sections living in rural areas are denied basic amenities in spite of dedicated schemes and hefty budgetary allocations. Even today, there are many villages and hamlets where basic amenities are a daydream.

Basic amenities are an essential foundation for a decent living. The scope of basic amenities includes safe drinking water, sanitation, housing, an all-weather road to the village, electricity, healthcare centre, school, and many more.

The condition of people in rural parts of the backward states such as Chhattisgarh is worst.

A small section of the rural populace of Paderpani Para hamlet at Puspal village in Jagdalpur district is struggling for access to a basic survival need- safe drinking water.

Puspal village, 90 km away from the district headquarters, continues to suffer in silence.

With not a single formal source of drinking water, the villagers here are now habituated of drinking water directly from a small pit. Although the water is visibly murky, locals say that they can either die of thirst or consume the dirty water and use it for cleaning, cooking and their other basic needs.

Villagers also allege that despite highlighting this, no government assistance has come their way. And the absence of any drinking water project in the area has worsened the situation for the water-borne-disease-stricken area.

When news of their plight reached local MLA Chandan Kashyap, he said that he will definitely look into the matter.

"My one and a half year tenure have been spent in the elections in the state and since last 3 months, no work was done due to coronavirus pandemic. But, I assure that very soon tube wells will be approved in Paderpani Para and people will get pure drinking water," said Kashyap.

It is pertinent to mention here that the availability of piped water, electricity and toilets are not provided to more than one-third of the rural household. It shows that the public investment in rural areas is not inclusive of poor and marginalised and it failed to address the basic requirement of the common people to bring change in their life.