Jangaon citizens struggle to get drinking water

JANGAON: Located close to Jangaon municipality, the Chitakoduru reservoir is filled to the brim, thanks to the abundant rains this year. However, residents of the municipality are struggling for drinking water. Every day, they are forced to carry 15-litre water cans home, for which they pay Rs 25 to private water filter units. 

Jangaon residents’ hopes were raised when the State government announced that new pipeline connections would be provided to every household as part of the Mission Bhagiratha Urban Scheme. However, the stipulated deadline for the project wasn’t met, and the work is still pending in the municipality.

Jangaon municipality covers 30 wards and has a population of about 60,000. There are 50 private water filter units here, which are mostly run without adequate permissions. They continue to thrive despite crackdowns.

Speaking to Express, K Bhagyamma, a resident of Reddy Street in Jangaon town, said that the citizens don’t use the water being supplied by the municipal authorities for drinking. “Sometimes, the water would be in green colour. The water from the municipal connection would mostly have a foul smell, indicating that it is not drinkable. Hence, we use it only for chores and other daily uses. As a result of this, we are forced to buy drinking water cans from private water filter units,” Bhagyamma said.

Treatment plant

Jangaon municipality’s deputy executive engineer (DEE) Ch Ravindranath, however, claimed that they have been supplying clean drinking water to citizens. He said, “In 2015, a treatment plant was set up at the Chitakoduru reservoir with a capacity of 11.05 MLD. The reservoir water is filtered and supplied to 15,000 households in the town.” 

He added that the residents, however, continue to depend on private water filter units. “We are supplying pure drinking water after testing. But people use to wash clothes and other chores. We have urged them not to purchase water from private operators, but they don’t seem to budge,” he said and added that four new overhead tanks are being constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 17 crore, and that seven tanks are currently in use for drinking water supply.