Other States - Orissa   

Horse-ride a matter of necessity for them

KORAPUT: Horse-riding may not be a matter of joy for the people of Panasput, Ondrapalli and Jodambo panchayats in Malkangiri district but a matter of necessity. Situated in the cut-off area in Chitrakonda water reservoir for the last many years, people in these areas still face the challenges of maintaining their life even with the basic minimum necessities. While there is no direct land communication to the mainland in the State, the facilities on the water route are also the minimum, thus maximizing their dependence on Andhra Pradesh for every little thing including daily ration, the villagers said.

There is road connection to the nearby villages in Andhra Pradesh. But people need to cover long distance on foot for the lack of proper roads . Either one has to carry the load on the head or transport them on horseback. Even to cover the distance using the water route, they have to walk miles or use the horses to reach the banks of the reservoir.

Weekly market at Darlabeda on Saturday and at Jamuguda on Sundays remain the most important places for marketing locally grown products and to purchase their daily needs. While traders from Chitrakonda reach on the water route to sell items of daily need, businessmen from the neighbouring State remain the major attraction for the villagers. On the health front, the lone PHC at Jodam could hardly meet the need of the entire region and for any quality medical care, often the villagers prefer to cross the borders even though it asks for a strenuous journey over horseback. The reach of the district administration had also been badly affected especially after the attack on the policemen of Andhra Pradesh in the reservoir by the Maoists a few months ago, sources said . The largest number of officials that was seen over the recent past in these villages was when the helicopters had dropped some polling officials to conduct elections last month. However the greatest concern for the people was the lack of electricity. While villages starting with Kumda in Andhara Pradesh situated just at a distance of 4 km on the borders with Orissa glow in the night with electricity, there was no initiative from the State Government to provide electricity in these villages despite their presence near the hydroelectric project, villagers said.

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