KADAPA: The villagers of Mabbuchintapalle staged a dharna and obstructed the vehicles of Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) on Thursday demanding that the company supply purified drinking water to them.
The agitating villagers obstructed the vehicles of officials and other staff of UCIL in the village. The villagers said that for the last 10 days they had been demanding that the UCIL officials provide purified drinking water to them, but the company did not respond. Knowing about the agitation, UCIL personal manager Chaterjee and deputy general manager Sarkar visited the village and promised to carry out the needed repairs to the RO plant in the village to provide purified drinking water.
They also assured them of providing purified drinking water through tankers till the RO plant is repaired. With the assurance, the villagers called off their agitation. The villagers lamented that the water they are getting from Parnapalli reservoir is unfit for drinking.
People in seven villages in Kadapa district and environmentalists have been alleging that Tummalapalle uranium mine is polluting the water bodies in the affected villages. Tummalapalle uranium mine is operated by UCIL, a public sector undertaking. After complaints, the UCIL had agreed to provide water to all seven villages.