VASCO
A number of residents from Assoi Dongri in Chicalim on Wednesday agitated at the PWD office in Baina after complaining of severe water shortage since the last eight months.
The aggrieved residents had gone to meet the assistant engineer but, in his absence, they met the technical staff and demanded to know why their area was deprived of water since the last eight months and demanded a permanent solution in the matter.
The crowd refused to move from the PWD office and the matter was resolved after the PWD instructed the staff to immediately begin work to improve the water supply in the area.
Speaking to reporters, a resident Sanjeet Gawas said they had no option but to buy drinking water and borrow water from other areas in containers for many months.
"We were getting very little water earlier but now there is no water at all. We get regular water bills amounting to Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 but in reality, when we open the tap, we never get water. Why should we pay the bills when we don't get water at all," asked Gawas.
Another resident, Deepak Naik, said they had approached the PWD office on several occasions but only got false assurances.
"Initially, they assured to check the problem but their staff never came. After we repeatedly began visiting the PWD office, the PWD staff said they will take up some work to improve our supply and sent us back. After they failed to appear, we went to our panch member and he even sponsored a JCB and other equipment for the PWD.”
“We even spent our own money but the PWD is doing nothing. Finally, they said they need a NOC for road cutting and we are still waiting. If the PWD cannot obtain NOC, will we be able to get NOCs? The PWD is only making excuses and they cannot find the fault for so many months now despite inspections," said Naik.
Sangeeta Kinlekar, another resident, said the PWD should have supplied water by tankers but instead, had left them to fend for themselves.
"We will not go from this office till work begins and a permanent solution is worked out. We don't have water for months and neither does the PWD send us tankers. Water from bore wells is not potable and we cannot keep buying water from market," said Kinlekar.
