Bhubaneswar, March 21 -- A prolonged humanitarian crisis continues to haunt Kadamdihi village under Koida block in Odisha's Sundargarh district, where nearly 150 families have been struggling for access to safe drinking water for decades, sources said on Saturday.

Situated along the border of Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts, the village faces a unique challenge, despite being located in Sundargarh. Residents depend on water supplied from Keonjhar. A single solar-powered pump installed by Banspal block administration serves people from both districts.

Besides, during cloudy weather, the pump often fails, forcing villagers to collect water from a 40-year-old pond that has now turned toxic and unusable due to a lack of cleaning and maint...