Kadapa dist in grip of water scarcity

Kadapa: The state government’s ambition of providing 24x7 water supply to all urban areas including Kadapa Municipal Corporation is far away from success.

1. Forced to drink unsafe water from purchased water cans, laments Manohara Reddy
2. Taking bath once in four days: Neelaveni

Many municipalities like Proddatur, Mydukur, Budwel, Rajampet, Pulivendula, Rayachoti and Kadapa do not have drinking water supply even once in a week. These towns have been listed as problematic by the state government and no action has been taken till date to solve the issue of erratic water supply. Kadapa city is reeling under acute drinking water shortage and the residents of Kalinganagar, Saipet, Kummarikunta and Masapet are struggling to quench their thirst.

Residents of these areas are forced to wait for hours together at public taps in long queues for securing potable water. Such scenes have been witnessing in slums with women, who are seen sitting at public taps along with their kids under the intense heat of sun. There are several instances with people lodging complaints after quarrelling with each other just to get a pot of water. It has become a common and routine practice to them to wait at public taps for hours together. The civic administration is releasing water once in three days.

Speaking to The Hans India here on Friday, A Neelaveni of Mariapuram said the situation was so bad that people were finding it difficult to take bath even once in four days. We are not getting potable water though we are paying water taxes regularly, she lamented. According to sources, the Kadapa civic body releases water once in three days and people store it in sumps and containers. Water tankers are coming once in a week in some localities.

As a result, the water business is thriving as the people were forced to purchase water cans to cater their drinking water needs. “We are aware that we are consuming spurious and unsafe water which is being sold through water cans but we have no option. We feel better to consume such spurious water instead of suffering with thirst,” M Manohara Reddy of Mummari Kunta said.

When contacted by The Hans India, Kadapa Municipal Corporation in-charge Commissioner B Siva Reddy said that right now, there was no problem for drinking water in the city as municipal authorities ensuring all steps to meet the problem. He said the problem might be intensified in coming May and June due to drastic fall in groundwater levels as the administration proposed to supply water through tankers in the extension areas of the city.

BY Srinivasa Rao