Cuttack: Amid a relentless heatwave pushing temperature beyond 40°C, over 50% of public drinking water coolers installed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) have in a deplorable condition, raising serious concerns over the city’s preparedness to tackle the summer crisis.Out of 58 water coolers set up across the city to provide relief to residents, as many as 32 are reportedly non-functional. The failure of these essential facilities has left pedestrians, street vendors, and daily commuters struggling to access safe drinking water under extreme weather conditions.Several key areas, including Cantonment, CDA, Buxi Bazar, Jagatpur, Mata Matha, Nua Patana, Nua Bazar, Tulsipur, Badambadi, and the Ring Road stretch, are among the worst affected, with defunct coolers offering no respite to the public.A commuter, Elina Das, said, “It is becoming unbearable to walk even short distances in this heat. These coolers were meant to help us, but most of them don’t work when we need them the most.”Babu Sethi, a street vendors in Link Road area, who spends hours outdoors, echoed similar concerns. “We depend on these water points during summer. Now, we are forced to buy water or go without it and it affects our earnings. All the water kiosks must be repaired immediately, so that it will give relief to many needy persons,” added Sethi.Also, many of these locations have turned unhygienic due to poor maintenance. Overflowing water, clogged drains, scattered garbage, and the presence of stray dogs have made the surroundings unsafe. “The areas around these coolers are dirty and smelly. Instead of helping people, they are now creating health risks with mosquitoes and flies breeding nearby,”said Suraj Pradhan, a resident of CDAContacted, Cuttack mayor Subhash Singh said, “We have taken note of the non-functional water coolers. All defunct units will be made operational at the earliest by a CMC team and sanitation around these points will also be improved on priority.”
