Kendrapara: The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has taken up public utility projects in backward Mahakalapada tehsil of this coastal district.

The DRDO, under whose stewardship the Radar Observatory Air Surveillance project is operational in seaside Kiyarbanka area, has set the ball rolling for development of human settlements on the periphery.

As part of its peripheral area development plan, DRDO has taken charge of rebuilding the Mahakalpada-Jamboo road, said Kendrapara Collector Kashinath Sahu.

The 6.7 km road, perceived to be the lifeline for the people in about 15 gram panchayats, was in bad shape with cracks developing because of excessive traffic.

"We dispatched a letter to DRDO seeking its help for relaying the road. The DRDO swiftly responded," Sahu said.

Work for the relaying of road begins tomorrow under the technical supervision of the defence project's engineers. Divisional engineers of the state works department would also assist.

The road would be relayed within 25 days and traffic was being diverted through a nearby village irrigation canal road, said officials.

The DRDO was also thinking of helping solve the acute drinking water crisis in some of the seaside villages of Kendrapara district.

"As part of our civilian welfare plan, we are planning to distribute iron testing kits and iron removal apparatus at human habitations where safe drinking water is scarce," said a DRDO official.

"We have learnt that several villages on the seaside are hit by abnormally high iron content in ground water. Devoid of an alternate source, the poor people in these places are forced to drink water detrimental to human health," he said.

Such people-friendly schemes were earlier launched in water deficient areas of Assam. "Now it's our effort to reach out to the deficient coastal villages of Orissa," he said.

The test kit could ensure a qualitative determination of iron content in water. Its operation was simple and trouble-free and a semi-skilled worker could handle it without any hindrance, sources said.

The kit provided water-testing facility for both physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters. It was simple to ascertain the presence of iron content with the kit.

"We will provide it free in water scarce areas. Besides the kit, an additional set of iron removal instrument would be donated to villagers."

The iron removal apparatus would help the villagers to draw bacteria free water and was easy to operate.

On a trial basis, three villages were being chosen for this novel experiment. The local panchayat body would keep custody of the instruments.

Source : PTI