Water issue: Villagers decide to boycott LS polls

Kundapur: If it’s a time to make promises for netas, elections are also a time for people to raise their voice and demand solutions to long-pending problems. Residents from about 70 houses located in ward number 3 and 4 in Bijur, Kundapur in Udupi district have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha polls after the panchayat has failed to provide them a permanent solution to their drinking water needs.
Speaking to TOI, social worker Somashekar said, “Due to political pressure and opposition from about four houses, despite the zilla panchayat sanctioning Rs 7 lakh for construction of a well before the elections were declared, the project has been put on hold.”

He explained that based on the demand of villagers, panchayat officials identified an area to construct a well in the Bijur Government Higher Primary School premises. The School Development and Monitoring Committee (SDMC) members agreed to this proposal and the block education officer (BEO) also granted permission for the same. The BEO had called for objections, if any, and a majority of the residents were in favour of construction of a public well in the school premises. However, due to pressure put by local politicians, the construction of the well has been put on hold. Members from about four houses feared that construction of the well would mean depletion of water in the wells in their houses. “With the summer setting in, the water crisis will only worsen. Another issue that worries villagers is saltwater entering into the wells. Through there is a water pipeline of the panchayat, water does not flow through it on a regular basis. We need a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis, and hence we have decided to boycott polls,” he said.

Sathish Tolar, in-charge panchayat development officer, said, due to local politics, the work related to construction of the well has been put on hold. In case the work commences on time, about 80 per cent of the work would be completed by now. “The villagers have threatened to boycott polls. They are demanding a permanent solution to the drinking water crisis, and had even put up banners regarding the same. We have tried to convince them and requested them to remove the banners. During summer, water is supplied through tankers. While, funds were sanctioned under the task force, additional funds were even promised for the project,” he said.

Villagers plan to boycott polls in Raichur

Residents of Vadlur, Chikkavadlur and Hanumadoddi villages of Raichur taluk have decided to boycott the Lok Sabha elections over the water issue. They alleged that though the drinking water project was completed by 2017, the local administration failed to provide water as the urban body denied permission to bring water from Chikkasugur. The locals had made several requests in the past and have now written a letter to the zilla panchayat CEO on plans to boycott the election.