CRIMINALS MADE TOWN THIRSTY

CRIMINALS LEAVE TOWN THIRSTY 10/03/2012
ODISHA NEWS:


Criminals have stolen the taps fixed to the drinking water kiosks called Amrut Ganga across Burla town, leaving the provision lying defunct.


Chairperson of the Burla Notified Area Council Chandarabati Naik said: “We had repaired the water kiosks of the town two months ago. But now, some people have stolen the taps. Some of the kiosks are operational. We will repair the defunct kiosks soon.”
Official sources said seven drinking water kiosks had been installed in the town. While one at Gopabandhu Chhak has turned completely defunct, other six are functioning partially. “There are seven drinking water kiosks in the town and two of them are located on the VSS Medical College and Hospital campus. But, only a few of them are operational now,” said Kunal Mazumdar, a local resident.


“All the water kiosks have been installed at strategic places of the town considering the residents’ drinking water requirement. But, these kiosks have failed to meet the objective,” he said.


People from across western Odisha and the neighbouring states make regular healthcare visit to VSS Medical College and Hospital. Moreover, Burla is an important town in terms of education as it houses two universities.


“Everyday thousands of people come here. But, the town has failed to provide clean drinking water to the visitors,” said Girija Naik, another local resident.
“The civic body should take initiative to repair the water kiosks before the advent of summer,” he said.


“The water kiosks located at VSS Medical College and Hospital are also not functioning properly. It takes half an hour to fill a bottle. The hospital authorities should take urgent measure to repair the kiosks,” said Chetan Goyal, another local resident.


“The water kiosk at the daily market is also lying dysfunctional. Thousands of people visit the market. But, the water kiosk, which is supposed to provide the people with cold drinking water, is lying dysfunctional,” he said.

SIDDHARTHA SHANKAR MISHRA, BUREAU CHIEF, THESE DAYS, ODISHA