Tribal villages of Sukinda block and Badachana block in Jajpur district are facing acute water scarcity since the month of April. Since temperature is going up, the problem will be compounded. The villages like Dubikhala, Mangalpur, Ambadula, Lembu , Rankia, Bandhaga, Bamanagar, Pimpudia, Kharadi, Kaliapani and Chingudiapal, etc with a population of 50,000 in Sukinda block and Bairi, Tanupur, Sukarpur, Chandia and other villages under Badachana block are mostly affected areas due to the scarcity. “The tube wells present in these areas are in breakdown conditions and neither the Gram Panchayat (GP) nor the Block Development Office (BDO) tries to take any action to fight the water scarcity by repairing the tube wells,” lamented Makar Charana Munda of Lembu village. Due to non functioning of many tube wells, the villagers have been using contaminated water from the ponds, rivers and other water sources. The scarcity will be intense in the coming months. Many women and children have to walk miles in search of water, said Banshidhar Beuri of Rankia. “Out of six tube wells in our village only one tube well is working as a result the villagers make a line everyday to collect water. Each day I rise early in the morning I have to stand in a queue to collect water in buckets, said Manjulata Mudali of Bairi village. A search for water under the scorching sun is a daily routine for women and children of the tribal dominated villages. Women and children dig a dry riverbed in search of water. The scenes of people walking in long lines with vessels on their heads are common. With summer heat on the rise, the problem of acute shortage of drinking water has affected about 45 tribal dominated villages near the hillocks under Sukinda block and by all accounts, the steps claimed to have been taken by the Government is too little and too late, said Sarabara Jarika of village Bamananagar. In many villages , one feels one is in a medieval period as locals drink the polluted waters from the ponds, ditches and other water bodies. Tribal women still have to walk miles under the sun to fetch drinking water for their daily requirements. Children are made to stand in serpentine queues right since morning to fetch water. Many also drink polluted water after collecting from ponds, ditches and other water bodies. "We have recently repaired many tube wells and other defunct tube wells will be repaired soon. Wherever there is a scarcity, we will definitely provide water, either by tankers or by any means," assured the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) department engineer.