Frustrated by three years of chronic water scarcity, local women took to the streets carrying empty pitchers and pots to protest outside the Patnagarh Sub-Collector’s office in Odisha’s Balangir district, demanding immediate intervention to fix the failing Basudha scheme.
On Tuesday, a large group of women gathered at the administrative office to voice their grievances. According to the protesters, although water pipes under the Basudha scheme were installed years ago, they have not delivered a single drop of water in three years. As a result, families across the locality continue to face severe hardships just to secure daily drinking water.
During the demonstration, the women submitted a formal memorandum to the Sub-Collector, urging authorities to restore water supply immediately. Local residents also joined the protest, expressing deep dissatisfaction over the implementation and oversight of the government project.
The Basudha scheme was originally launched to ensure reliable, clean drinking water access for rural households. However, recurring complaints highlight a widening gap between official policy and ground reality, as numerous areas find themselves grappling with dry taps despite infrastructural setup.
