Kundapur: Water shortage amid rains - Hattiangady panchayat faces people's ire
Silvester D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – Kundapur
Kundapur, Jul 30: "It is common that we have shortage of drinking water in summer season but at least give us sufficient water in rainy season," said villagers of Kanyan, protesting in front of Hattiangady gram panchayat office with their empty water pots on Monday July 30.
Around 90 families living in 5 cents plot at Kodlugudde in Kanyan depend completely on water given by gram panchayat. During summer, water is not given properly as there is shortage of water in well but now during rainy season too, water is not being supplied, alleged locals.
There is a borewell in the panchayat limits, but the panchayat does not supply water from it, said locals, demanding closure of the gram panchayat office.
"In Hattiangady panchayat, the officials in power are not concerned about the poor. Hence last year without conducting elections, the officials misused the power. Basic facilities like water, electricity and roads are still dreams for the poor people over here."
Adding to that, villagers still do not know who the president is. Despite making multiple visits to the panchayat office, the resident was not available for the people. Hence on Monday, villagers decided that they would not leave the place until they tell their problems to him. But all their efforts went in vain as the president never turned up.
Later, after vice president assured them of repairing the pumpset and then supplying water, villagers withdrew their protest.
No officials in panchayat
At the time of protest, neither the PDO nor the secretary of the panchayat was present. It is said that they had left for some meeting. The absence of gram panchayat president made the protestors angrier.
"We do not know what is going on in the panchayat as we did not know who the president is. Even after telling our problems to them, there was no positive response from the officials which made us to protest," said Ramesh, resident of Kanyan.