Enraged at the continued negligence of successive governments to their demand of supplying safe drinking water residents of Tadihipparga in Madnur mandal, on Maharastra border, passed a unanimous resolution to boycott elections unless their problem is resolved within a week.
The resolution passed in a meeting presided by sarpanch Prakash Pochiram Gaikwad and later dandora (tom tom) was conducted in the village inhabited by over 1,800 people. They handed over the memorandum to an official at mandal office.
P. P. Gaikwad, who retired as deputy executive engineer in Maharashtra, was elected unanimously as sarpanch. The sarpanch appealed to elected representatives to sanction ₹25 lakh to solve the chronic problem, but to no avail. “Our Sarpanch met the Member of Parliament and local MLA thrice on the issue,” his close associate Balu Shinde said.
“There are some 100 wells fitted with pumpsets but the water is not drinkable, it has high salt and fluoride content. The residents are forced to fetch water on bicycles, two wheelers, bullock carts and tractors from a borewell in Sonala village, two kilometers from Tadihipparga. Earlier, they used to bring water from small pits on the Lendi stream bed. But, now the stream has gone bone dry,” he added.
“We don’t want to vote for any political party unless and until the chronic water problem in our village is completely solved. We have been facing this for the last four decades. Elected representatives come and go via our village but they never bothered to mitigate our problem,” laments Tulasi Bai Dandewad.
“Mission Bhagiratha water comes once in eight days and that too just for one hour. Taps are limited and confined to a part of village. There is overwhelming response to our resolution,” said Mr. Balu.
Residents of a neighbouring village, Karagu, which is also beset with similar problem, are also planning to resort to same pressure tactic, said, a local scribe.
Mission Bhagiratha Executive Engineer Chowdary Babu Kante, meanwhile, denied the allegation that water supply to the village is hindered. “We are monitoring the situation every day and Singur water is given on every alternate day. If supply is given everyday water in Singur would hardly last a month,” he said.
“I have sent AE and other staff to the village and the sarpanch said water was coming regularly. I don’t know about the problem,” EE said.