Cuttack, March 29: The state government apparently has no report on the availability of drinking water facilities in more than 8,000 anganwadi centres (AWCs), where mid-day meals are provided to schoolchildren.

Taking note of allegations that drinking water was not available in 9,543 AWCs, the high court had, on March 8, directed the rural development department to drill adequate number of tubewells on a war footing basis and ensure supply of drinking water to these AWCs.

The court had also directed to submit a status report by March 29. There are nearly 64,000 AWCs in the state.

The state government, in its status report, conceded that only 1,463 AWCs with no drinking water have been included in the Action Plan 2010-11 of Rural Water Supply Scheme (RWSS) for installation of tubewells.

These were located in the nine districts of Nawrangpur (478), Kalahandi (372), Malkangiri (167), Dhenkanal (137), Sambalpur (121), Deogarh (115), Cuttack (36), Bargarh (31) and Kendrapada (6).

“Till March 15, hand-pump tubewells were installed in 847 of the 1,463 AWCs. Steps are being taken for installation of the balance tubewells during 2011-12,” social welfare director Sujata Karthikeyan stated in an affidavit submitted in the high court on Monday.

But neither the women and child welfare department nor the rural development department were sure as to how many AWCs were functioning on government premises without drinking water facilities.

“If at all there are 9,543 anganwadi centres functioning on government premises for which no tubewell or well is available in the vicinity (within 250 metres), the list of such anganwadi centres be sent to us for taking suitable action at our end during 2011-12,” R.L. Jamuda, principal secretary, rural development department, had on March 26, 2011, written to the commissioner-cum-secretary of women and child welfare.

The state government, on the other hand, had in the affidavit stated: “Since a large number of anganwadi centres are functioning in rented accommodations, no tubewell or well can be provided on such private premises. However, steps shall be taken to make safe drinking water available within a distance of 250 metres from such private premises, if need be.”

The two-judge bench of Chief Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice B.N. Mohapatra took note of the status report today and fixed April 5 for further hearing on the case.

The high court is adjudicating on a PIL on the implementation Special Nutrition Programme (SNP) and Mid-Day Meal (MDM) programme filed by Dillip Kumar Mohapatra, a member of the High Court Bar Association.

According to the affidavit filed in the court, the hand-pump tubewells under Action Plan 2010-11 of Rural Water Supply Scheme (RWSS) had been installed in 847 AWCs — Nawrangpur (324), Kalahandi (204), Malkangiri (98), Dhenkanal. (66) Sambalpur (100), Deogarh (54), Cuttack (14), Bargarh (14).