Balangir: The fight for renovation of Karangakata, the largest water body in the town after Maharani Sagar, has reached the court after some organisations led by Karangakata Banchao Samiti filed a petition with the District Legal Aid Service Authority recently.
The authority admitted the petition and its chairman the district and sessions judge justice, Surya Prakash Kar, assured the petitioners that he would deal the matter with in the legal purview of the authority.
Karangakata which once was a rich source of potable water for the town residents is now in a bad state. Despite more than Rs 1 crore spent for its renovation in the last few years, the water of the tank is not suitable even for bathing thank to the indifferent attitude of the civic authority and lack of political will.
The water of the tank is highly contaminated and polluted and there are plenty of aquatic plants in it.
Time and again people have raised their voices against the apathetic attitude of the district administration but, no avail. In 2006, the then works minister, A.U. Singhdeo, had began a beautification drive of the tank with fund from public works department and local area development fund of some Rajya Sabha MPs. A boat club was inaugurated by the minister for boating in the tank. But, the plan fell flat as the beautification work was not initiated and the boat club remained non-functioning.
About 2,000 people Brahminpada, Barpalipada, Hatpadapada and Durga Mandap localities depend on the tank.
"The water is not even suitable for bathing animals, let alone human beings. But we are forced to use it as there are no alternative source of water nearby," said a housewife Sarita Dash.
Prashant Mahakud of Karangakata Banchao Samiti said departments entrusted with the work often start the work late just before the monsoon. "As monsoon signals the end of any work, they stop the work and grab a major share of the fund. The municipality has utterly failed to maintain the tanks of the town. We are forced to approach the court," he said.
Executive officer of Balangir municipality Nabin Patel admitted the sorry state of the tank and informed that municipality was taking steps to renovate the tank.
"I know about the sorry state of most of the tanks of the town and shortly we are starting an initiative to renovate the tanks," Patel said.