Purushottam Nayak –
Kandhamal (Odisha, Eastern India): Odisha’s Kandhamal Catholic girl students have raised the water crisis issue before the collector courageously.
The students from Kalumaha belonging to Our Lady of Charity Parish, Raikia Block, under Cuttack-Bhubaneswar Archdiocese met Collector and District Magistrate Ashish Ishwar Patil , I.A.S demanding resumption of drinking water supply, here at Raikia Block, Kandhamal, Odisha on Monday, September 19, 2022.
More than 200 families persecuted and suffered during anti-Christian violence of 2007-2008 living in Kalumaha, a Catholic village under Raikia Panchayat, have been facing a drinking water crisis perennially since the independence of India.
The day scholar students of St. Catherine’s Girls’ High School, Raikia, pleaded with the Collector to supply water or make arrangements throughout the year.
“We have been facing drinking water crisis throughout the year. We go very far to collect water. We have only one bore well for the entire village which is not able to supply water sufficiently to all of us. We wait sometimes for five to six hours just to get one pot drinking water in one tube well. We find very difficult to go to school due to staying awake up to one or two o’ clock night for the water. We are not able to study and do well in the class due to water crisis. We sometimes go to the school without taking bath due to lack of water. Water crisis has become a hurdle and obstacle to have a great aim in life by giving much time to study well. We suffer mentally, physically, psychologically and intellectually in our learning stage. We are disheartened and discouraged due to inaccessibility of water,” the petition of the students explains.
Students told authorities that almost all people are facing water supply issues and they are moving from one place to another for basic sanitation, bathing and washing clothes. They said this also caused them to get delayed for classes as they could not get ready on time. The students lamented that the villagers had repeatedly alerted the Panchayat officials including the ward member on the issue but their complaints were never addressed.
Due to lack of drinking water supply, people in the area have been forced to buy water. “As daily wage workers, how is it feasible for us to buy water for Rs. 20 or Rs. 30 per pot every day?.” asked Bijaya Pani, one of the villagers.
“We even find it difficult to send our children to school as our time is spent running from pillar to post trying to source drinking water”, said Sudhir Pradhan, a daily labourer woman from the village.
“Hours and hours girls spend every day collecting water is a colossal waste of their valuable time. When water is not on premises and needs to be collected, it’s our women and girls who are mostly paying with their time and lost opportunities,” he added.
“For the girls, water collection can take time away from their education and sometimes even prevent their attending school altogether. Collection of water can affect the health of the whole family, and particularly of children. When water is not available at home, even if it is collected from a safe source, the fact that it has to be transported and stored increases the risk that it is fiscally contaminated by the time it is drunk. This in turn increases the risk of diarrhoeal disease,” said Thomas Nayak, a retired teacher form the locality.
“The needs are clear; the goals are clear. Women and children should not have to spend so much of their time for this basic human right.” asserted Nayak. Inhabitants of Kalumaha, a Catholic village are mostly, poor, marginalize and daily labourers.
“Access to water and sanitation is the human rights and fundamental to everyone’s health, dignity and prosperity. All people are entitled to water and sanitation without discrimination. Marginalized groups are often overlooked, and sometimes face discrimination, as they try to access the water and sanitation service they need. Government must take a human rights-based approach to water and sanitation improvements, so that no one gets left behind,” said Rosemary Nayak, a woman from the locality.
“A society can only achieve public health, gender equity, educational attainment, and economic productivity when all of its members enjoy their rights to water and sanitation,” said Paulo Pradhan head catechist of Our Lady of Parish Raikia .
“Respect for human rights must be integrated into development plans for all sectors at all levels. All barriers and hurdles to water and sanitation access must be overcome. Laws and governance must address all reasons for discrimination including sex, gender, race, identity, religion, caste, ailment, age, health status, and economic status,” continued Pradhan.
The students submitted petition to the Collector, The Collector Patil assured that the issue would be resolved in about 15 days. Meghanjali Majhi was the leader of a team comprising of 10 students raising water scarcity issue before the District Collector.
Good work…..