Sarpanches in a bind over water supply to villages

Hyderabad: Though the works have not been completed, the officials of the Panchayat Raj and Rural Water Supply have been bringing pressure on the Gram Panchayats to scrap the old water schemes and to use the Mission Bhagiratha (MB) scheme.

As the water is not supplied through the MB scheme, the Sarpanches are unable to address the issues of the water supply in their respective villages. They have been facing pressures from the MB officials and the people. The villagers are bringing pressure on the Sarpanches to supply water through the old schemes.

With this, the Sarpanches are being caught between the officials and the villages. They were unable to carry out the instructions of the officials and at the same time unable to give reply to the residents of the villages on water woes.

Mission Bhagiratha has been launched four years ago and officials of the project have been claiming that majority of the works have been completed and purified water is supplied to the villages. But the Sarpanches have been claiming that water of the MB was not reaching the villages due to technical problems and shortage of water at the sources.

Sarpanch of Chunchunakota of Cheryal mandal Adi Srinivas said that water of MB was reaching only low lying areas of his village. The GP has been using 12 motors of the old schemes to supply water to the villages. He said that as the MB water was not reaching the village, they have been forced to use the old water schemes to quench the thirst of the people. He said that the officials have been asking the GP to close the old schemes and to use MB water.

Few Sarpanches said that the RWS officials have been instructing them to use MB water and to shut down the old schemes. They said that power connections to the water supply schemes have been cut.

A Sarpanch said that the officials of RWS are refusing to sanction the bills of the repair works of the old water supply schemes. When he has approached for sanction of the bill of repairs of the motors of the old schemes, the officials have refused even to record the bill. Recording the bill is the first step to sanction the bill.

The Sarpanches said that they are forced to depend on the old water supply schemes as MB water was not reaching their villages. They said that the water being supplied through the MB was not as pure as being claimed by the officials.

Tigul village Sarpanch Bhanu Prakash said that the officials should support the old water schemes until the MB water reaches the villages fully. He said that he has been bearing the cost of the maintenance of old water scheme.

Sarpanches said that the summer is round the corner and officials should ensure proper supply of water through MB or allow them to use the old schemes to supply water.