Electricity, Water Supply In Odisha Village Cut, Residents Say "Caste Bias"

Electricity and water supply to a Dalit settlement in a village in Odisha's Balangir was disrupted, with residents alleging caste discrimination as a reason.

Residents claimed piped water supply was cut off a few days ago, while street lights were also turned off, plunging their settlement into darkness. One resident said, "Others have access to electricity and water, but we are deprived of it. We appeal to the government to resolve our problems so we can live with dignity."

A female resident said, "We don't have access to clean drinking water, and our streets remain dark due to the lack of electricity. There's no water on sunny days. We were promised water, but it hasn't happened yet."

Speaking to NDTV, Kantabanji area's tehsildar Bisnath Khalkho said a team will visit the settlement and take necessary steps accordingly.

With inputs from Dev Kumar