SURYAPET: Thousands of residents across five mandals in Suryapet district have been reeling under a severe drinking water shortage for the past 40 days. Not because of unavailability of water, but due to alleged negligence of officials in addressing technical issues affecting the pumping stations.
The water supply to 168 villages in Maddirala, Nuthankal, Tungathurthi, Jajireddygudem, and Nagaram mandals of the Tungathurthi Assembly constituency depends on the Palair Reservoir in Khammam district. Water is pumped from Palair to the Chilpakuntla reservoir in Nuthankal mandal, from where it is treated and distributed via two high-capacity motors. But the supply has been completely disrupted for over a month.
At the Palair reservoir, two heavy-duty motors are used to ensure a steady flow to Chilpakuntla, with one kept as a spare. Sources reveal that after the two motors broke down, officials managed the supply using the spare motor for a short period. However, the spare motor also malfunctioned 40 days ago. Although Mission Bhagiratha officials reportedly directed the maintenance agency to repair the equipment, there has been no response, leading to allegations of administrative apathy.
N Lingaiah, a resident of Maddirala, lamented that the local borewells are insufficient even for basic sanitation needs, forcing villagers to rethink even using the washrooms. While some residents travel to distant borewells to fetch water, the quality is often unfit for consumption. Consequently, families are forced to spend `20 per 20-litre can of drinking water daily.
The crisis has become a major challenge for newly elected sarpanches. To provide immediate relief, local bodies are drawing water from borewells at government nurseries and supplying it to households via tankers. Tungathurthi sarpanch Mallepaka Saibaba told TNIE that the root cause of the delay is the government’s failure to clear pending bills for the maintenance agency.
He noted that with a population of 12,000 in his village alone, he is currently deploying tankers 10 times a day to meet the basic requirements of the people. Residents are now demanding immediate intervention by higher authorities to restore piped water supply.