Depleting water level of Devi impacts ₹137 crore supply project, ISS mulled

The ₹137-crore mega pipe water supply project, designed to supply water to 133 water-scarce coastal villages in Erasama, Balikuda, and Naugaon blocks, has become defunct due to an acute shortage of water in Devi river.

- Amarnath Parida @Jagatsinghpur

As a result, villagers continue to face severe water crisis, even during the winter season. The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department has sought intervention of the state government to immediately construct an instream storage structure (ISS) before the summer season, warning that the situation may worsen.

Launched in 2018, the state government allocated ₹137 crore for the project which sources water from Devi river near Devidola in Naugaon block. The project aimed to transport water to Ambasal water treatment plant in Balikuda block where it would be filtered and supplied to 133 villages.