KEONJHAR: Residents of Khuntadihi Mundasahi, a hamlet in Luhakala village under Talakadakala panchayat of Banspal block in Keonjhar district, adopted an innovative supply technique to address water crisis.
There are 13 Munda families living in the hamlet, who primarily earn their livelihood from forest produce, shifting cultivation and daily labour. The hamlet is located about 7 km from the GP headquarters, 35 km from the block and 65 km from the district headquarters.
According to tribals, they have been residing in the area for three generations and have been fetching water from Khuntadihi perennial stream originating from Debtaghara hills, located 1 km away from the village. The stream is the only water source for the entire hamlet, the villagers said.
Community leaders like Sana Munda, Manga Munda and Birsa Munda had prepared an innovative plan in 2021 to bring safe stream water at the doorstep.
Despite multiple appeals to address the water crisis, the villagers claimed they did not get a positive response from the local administration. Following this, the villagers decided to follow up on the plan. A 500-metre pipe worth Rs 5,000 was bought through contribution from each household. The villagers got a boat-size plank and a bottle gourd and connected the plank to the stream's origin to divert the water. Later, they used the bottle gourd to connect the plank with a plastic pipe and brought the water to the hamlet.
"Water crisis can be tackled if the administration extends support to this traditional technique," said Duskar Barik, a social activist.
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