Acute water shortage plagues Vizianagaram villages

Thotapalli (Vizianagaram): Several villages in Vizianagaram district, including those located nearby Thotapalli reservoir, have been facing acute drinking water scarcity. Wells, tube wells, tanks and other sources are getting dry and the people are forced to walk long distances to get drinking water. Even the cattle also face struggle to have drinking water.

The government has stopped water flow in left canal of Thotapalli for laying cement lining on the floor and on both sides of the canal. AS a result the ground water level in Thotapalli, Nandivanivalasa, Khadgavalasa, Sunki, Santhoshapuram has gone down. Even the excavations in Nagavali river at Thotapalli reservoir project also affects the ground water levels.

K.Gangamma of Thotapalli said, ``We used to have sufficient water in the borewells and wells dried up as the flow of water is stalled in a left canal which is passing beside our village. I never felt such a difficult situation in the past few decades. Ours is a water rich village as a big river and reservoir is passing here but this year, the situation became bad. The locals staged dharnas in February to stop the lining works and allow the flow the water in this channel.

People of these 5,6 villages met collector and other officials and explained the situation. Dr.D.Parinaidu, environmental activist stated, `` The people of these villages are struggling for drinking water. We told the higher officials to not to lay cement concrete in the channel as it would affect ground water levels. But they denied our request and now we are facing the trouble. The officials should allow water to sink into ground, to increase ground water levels.