Villagers threaten water tanker operators of Dumas

Surat: The issue of water scarcity in the villages near Dumas beach has reached a boiling point with people threatening of violence against those involved in commercial exploitation of groundwater.
Villagers registered angry protest against water tanker operators and warned them of stern action at a meeting held at Bhimpor village on Sunday. The tanker operators were also called to discuss the issue. Their representatives were told by villagers at the meeting to stop illegal operations or face strict action, said a villager.
People of Dumas, Bhimpor and Sultanabad villages are facing severe water crisis as their major sources of water have started to dry up. The lakes that provided water for daily use in households have completely dried up even as water level in the historic well worshipped by villagers at Langar crossroads has fallen to one and half feet. The water level in the well earlier used to be above 10 feet even in summer months, the villagers informed.
Villagers believe water crisis in the area is due to illegal trade of groundwater. Some villagers have dug up borewells in their private properties and sell water to tanker operators who supply it to construction projects coming up in the city.
Due to continuous drawing of water from the borewells, the groundwater level has gone down, the villagers claim.