WARANGAL: It was back in 2013 that 42 villages of six mandals were merged with the Greater Warangal Municipal Corporation (GWMC). But with the government making no serious effort to improve the water supply to these villages, the residents have been facing acute drinking water scarcity during summer season.

In fact, every summer becomes the most dreaded time for the residents of Arepalli, Paidipalli, Kothapet, Timmapur, Hasanparthy, Vangapahad, Nakkalapalli, Mogilicharla and other villages — under Hasanparthy, Atmakur, Dharmasagar, Jafarghad, Hanamkonda and Shayampet — as they are made to endure this ordeal year after year.

The GWMC, which is supposed to look after the needs of the villages that come under its purview, has failed to required measures to improve the situation.

This summer in particular, the drinking water is being supplied to these villages just once in three days, forcing the villagers to depend on private drinking water suppliers.

“Ever since our village was merged with GWMC, we have been facing this drinking water problem. Earlier we used to get water through gram panchayats water tanks, but since our village has been merged with the corporation, the panchayat officials are not supplying drinking water to us,” lamented G Ravinder, resident of Hasanparthy village.

Warangal city’s needs

The Warangal city, which has a population of about 10 lakh, requires about 5 mcft (million cubic feet) water per day to meet the drinking water requirements. The corporation authorities claim that they are addressing the issue and doing their best to supply drinking water to all. According to GWMC Commissioner N Ravi Kiran, around 54 tankers are currently being used to supply drinking water. The corporation will be engaging another 34 tankers to supply water.