Tap water still a pipedream in villages merged with KMC

Karimnagar: The people of villages merged with Satavahana Urban Development Authority (SUDA) are facing serious drinking water problem.

There is development but taxes are being collected at the city level. The minimum infrastructure is being ignored. The merged villages are struggling for drinking water. They have been merged into the Karimnagar Municipal Corporation four years ago.

Officials are saying that they are laying pipe lines and will give tap connections but it is not seen in practice. When summer comes, corporators have to supply water through tankers. If they do not come forward, the people will have to buy the tankers and quench their thirst. When summer comes this difficulty is indescribable.

After the Karimnagar Municipality became a municipal corporation, the nearby eight villages Vallamphad, Arepally, Sitarampur, thigalaguttapally, Raykurthi, Bommakal, Padmanagar, Alugunur and Sadashivapally were merged into it. There are criticisms that there has been no change in the condition of drinking water even after four years since they became part of the city.

Development work is being done with focus on the suburban colonies but is not being completed. The pipe lines which were laid when they villages were gram panchayats are dilapidated and the capacity of the pipe lines is not enough for water supply. As a result, people are suffering. A permanent solution to the problem of drinking water in those areas can only be provided by providing water from reservoirs. In this context, the previous government allocated Rs 147 crore to provide drinking water facility in the merged villages. Pipeline works have been started here and there with these funds. Many places are not completed.

Locals are expressing concern that there is not enough water supply to the residents. Local public representatives say that if the tap water is supplied for an hour, the time is running out as soon as it reaches the houses. It is said that they are not paying attention to the authorities even though they are asking them to increase the water supply hours.

Saraswati Nagar in the 1st division has no tap connections at many places. With the arrival of summer, there is no water in the wells and borewells as the ground water is receding. With this, local corporator Kolagani Srinivas is supplying water through tankers every year. Locals have to wait for the tankers as the construction of pipeline is not taken up. At least 1,000 to 1,500 houses have no tap connections. Similar is the case in the merged village areas.

A woman of the merged village prasanna of Bommakal told The Hans India that the water shortage is very serious and the residents are left thirsty. No one cares about our pain. When it is summer our corporator supplies water with tanker. Municipal tap connections should be established immediately and fresh water should be provided in our colony, she said.

Another resident Varalaxmi said that Saraswati Nagar is in Karimnagar but water is not supplied. There is no water in the boreholes and we have to wait for the water to be supplied in tankers. The officials are saying that they will lay pipes and put tap connections but there are no tap connections given.