Hinkal residents protest annual water crisis

Mysuru: Water crisis is an annual occurrence that the residents of Hinkal gram panchayat brace themselves for every summer. The 2019 summer has been particularly harsh, with mercury levels touching historic highs in the past two months. The problem having aggravated with excess heat, the residents of Hinkal GP, along with members of the Socialist Unity Centre of India (SUCI) on Friday gathered in front of the deputy commissioner’s office and flashed empty plastic pots during the demonstration as an illustration of their plight.
SUCI’s Mysuru unit member S Umadevi, who participated in the demonstration, said that, despite having a population of 35,000, Hinkal residents were plagued by water shortage every summer. “Of the 28 borewells in the area, 25 have dried up completely. While many drinking water projects are announced to quench the thirst of city residents, Hinkal is sidelined. Pipelines from Cauvery and Kabini rivers pass through Hinkal, but the villages within the GP are grappling with water scarcity,” said Umadevi.
Citing UN regulations, Umadevi said that every individual was entitled to 85 litres every day for a variety of purposes. “Villages covered by Hinkal GP require at least 30 lakh litres on a daily basis. But the GP members and officials have failed to meet the requirements of the residents. Even Mysore Urban Development Authority (Muda) and Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) have turned a Nelson’s eye to the grave problem. Hinkal will have to brought under the jurisdiction of Vani Vilas Water Works, and drinking water units installed in villages at the earliest,” the protesters said.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to the DC, and members of the zilla panchayat.