Acute water scarcity in villages of Eturunagaram mandal

James Edwin

Eturunagaram (Warangal): As the day breaks, the residents of Chelpaka Gram Panchayat wake up with a single thought, to rush to the nearby Jampannavagu, to get a pot of water.

A dry bed of stream and a small water pond dug in it is the only source of drinking water for the residents here. Young and old all gather in huge numbers at the pond at around 5.30 am and as the water oozes slowly they draw it and fill their pots.

This is because a safe drinking water project launched in the village three years ago was not put in use as it was not given power connection. Hence they depend on the stream though the water is not safe.

An overhead tank standing at the centre of Chelpaka village and pipelines buried inside the ground remain as the mute spectators of the negligence of public representatives and the government officials here. The case of Chelpaka Gram Panchayat in Eturunagaram mandal is symbolic of the plight of the people living in Agency villages, in Warangal district, whose lives are thrown into medieval ages.

"Our village is affected with fluoride problem and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) has built an over head tank and pipelines are laid to supply water. Three years passed it has not come into use" said former sarpanch of the village Thota Narsimham. A motor installed to pump water into the tank of 60,000 litres capacity is not provided with power supply and thus rendered useless. Now it is feared whether the tank would be able to store water, if at all, water is pumped into it, in view of its dilapidated condition, he added.

"We are forced to either trek to the stream to fetch a pot of water from the orifice or to consume mud water as there is no provision for safe and clean drinking water for us" lamented Koppula Padma of the village.A This is common complaint of residents of Chelpaka, Allavari Ghanapuram, Veerapur, Velishettypalli, Banadibandham of Chelpaka gram panchayat which also comprises several small hamlets in Eturunagaram mandal.

Adding to the adversity, Jampannavagu which used to pass by the village of Chelpaka has changed its course four years ago and avoided flowing by the village, except when there is massive inflow of flood waters.

"Because of the huge sandbank formation right at the entry point of the village, the stream takes a new course bypassing the village and joins the original stream at the edge of Veerapur village" explained Korna Sammaiah, an elder at Chelpaka.

It takes ten to fifteen minutes to fill a pot. "When we go to the stream at the dawn, we return at 8 am and we are not able to turn up in time for the labour work" informed a woman Chapala Sumalatha who has enrolled her name for MNREGS work.

An official of Rural Water Supply (RWS) and sanitation wing, Kanakaiah said an electric transformer was set up a week ago and soon power supply would be given to pump water into the tank .