Bhubaneswar, Feb. 28 -- Bhubaneswar: In a clear display of deja vu, for a whopping over 46 lakh people in Odisha, collecting a pitcher of water will prove a herculean task this summer.

As per the data released by the 15th Finance Commission, only 88 per cent of the rural population in Odisha have access to safe drinking water.

Even the statistics of the Finance Commission tells only half a tale because the ground reality in Odisha seems more acute.

WATERTIGHT SITUATION IN ODISHA?

As per the claims by the Odisha government, as of date, the State provides a minimum of 40 litres per capita daily to over 3.5 crores of the rural population in the State.

The data further shows that a high of 7.28 lakh population in over 2,383 quality affec...