Argus News - Drinking Water Debate Sparks Chaos in Odisha Assembly

Bhubaneswar, Mar 10: The Odisha Legislative Assembly turned chaotic during Question Hour as ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislators clashed over the state’s drinking water projects.

The debate unfolded when Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik presented progress figures, sparking sharp reactions from both sides. “The previous government had installed around 26,000 tube wells over 24 years, while the BJP-led government achieved the same number within just one year,” highlighted Minister Naik.

This comparison triggered uproar from BJD members, who accused the minister of undermining past efforts. The chamber briefly descended into chaos, with loud exchanges between the two parties until the Speaker of the House intervened to restore order.

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Addressing concerns about universal drinking water access, Naik assured the House that the government has set a target to provide piped water to every household by March 2027.

“A total of 207 mega projects have been sanctioned, of which 26 have already been completed,” revealed the Odisha Drinking Water Minister, adding that another 28 are “expected to be finished by March this year”.

Sharing more data on the issue, he said: “Currently, 68.47 lakh households — about 77 per cent of the state’s families — have access to safe drinking water.”

“Out of 44,531 villages, 11,777 have functional drinking water projects,” the Minister informed further. He attributed delays in some areas to faulty Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) prepared under the previous administration, which forced relocation of 18 intake wells. “Presently, Odisha has 5,27,694 tube wells across the state,” he informed the House.

Responding to supplementary questions from BJD legislator Durga Prasan Nayak, the minister reiterated that the BJP government has surpassed the achievements of its predecessors in terms of tube well installations. This remark reignited protests from BJD members, who accused the government of politicizing essential services. BJP legislators countered with their own arguments, leading to another round of heated exchanges before calm was restored.