Severe Water Shortage Hits Jajpur District Amid Illegal Mining Activities

Water Crisis in Dharmasala Block

Residents in the Dharmasala block of Jajpur district are grappling with a critical water shortage, primarily due to the unregulated extraction of minor minerals like sand, granite, and morrum. This activity is occurring in clear violation of the Odisha Minor Minerals Concession (Amendment) Rules, 2016. As summer progresses, the groundwater levels have plummeted, leaving numerous borewells dry.

Mining operations in the area have reportedly reached depths of up to 150 feet, exacerbating the depletion of groundwater resources. Although regulations require that mines be backfilled after extraction, around 50 mining pits remain abandoned, resembling large ponds instead.

Local authorities, tasked with enforcing these regulations, have limited their efforts to merely collecting data on active mining sites. As a result, over a hundred villages situated in the foothills are now facing challenges in accessing clean water.

Current regulations stipulate that 'long hole drills' should not exceed six meters in depth, while 'short hole drills' are limited to between 1 and 1.5 meters. However, many operations have disregarded these limits, drilling down to the water table.

The severity of the situation is evident in villages such as Dankari, Madhupurgarh, Kukudakhali, and others, where piped water supply systems have become ineffective.

Although the local MLA has arranged for water tankers to assist affected areas, the supply is reportedly inadequate to meet the increasing demand during the summer months. Additionally, iron contamination in the groundwater has emerged as a significant issue for several villages near mining sites, leading to a rise in kidney-related health problems, with numerous hospitalizations reported by locals.