Women take a boat to fetch water in flood-hit K'para

THE sight of villagers, mostly women, rowing boats to fetch water is a common sight as a large number of flood-affected residents in Rajkanika, Aul and Pattamundai blocks of Kendrapara district are staring at acute drinking water crisis as flood has rendered wells and hand pumps unusable, creating unhygienic conditions.

- ASISH SENAPATI @Kendrapara

Once reliable sources of clean drinking water, hand pumps and wells now pump only contaminated water due to flood inundation.

The crisis is most severe in Gopalpur, Sukdevpur, Gobindapur and Manapur under Aul block, and Srirampur, Damarapur, Balabhadrapur and Singhagaon under Pattamundai block. River Bramahani continues to flow above danger level, creating a vast ocean dotted with village-islands.