VIJAYAWADA: Despite the tall claims made by the civic body officials over drinking water supply in the city, the situation at ground level is completely different as majority of the residents in New Rajarajeswari Peta, Vambay Colony, Ajith Singh Nagar and Wynchipet are in wait of water. They fear that the situation may get worse in future due to depletion in water level at Krishna river in Prakasam Barrage.
Vexed over the issue, residents of many localities are protesting in the streets with empty pots demanding supply of drinking water to their colonies at least once a day in the wake of rise in mercury levels in the city. Residents of Vambay Colony and New Rajarajeswari Peta staged a sit-in on the roads on May 3 demanding clean and safe drinking water. Claiming that they have to purchase bottled water at `30 for a 20 litre can, the agitators were unsure about how to live through the summer.
“We are facing acute drinking water problem as few blocks in the colony perpetually lack water supply due to officials apathy in providing connections. Several representations were submitted to the civic body officials but no action has been initiated so far,” said Vambay Colony resident V Jonathan Raju.
“Water tankers supply us water in the summer early in the morning or late at night which is when the residents have to fight with their neighbours standing in the queues for water,” he added. P Rajeswari, a resident of JNNURM Housing Complex, Ajith Singh Nagar complained that the daily municipal water supply is hardly enough to meet their needs. “Our locality has several elderly people who have to carry water from the ground floor to their residences in the upper floors where water does not reach. The problem should be fixed before any untoward incident happens,” she said.
However, VMC has claimed to have done its job to mitigate the crisis. Speaking to TNIE, VMC deputy engineer (Water Supply) K Narayana Murthy said,“At a time when water levels are depleting in Krishna river, the civic body had taken precautionary measures to avoid drinking water problem for the residents during summer. A summer action plan is being implemented at an estimated cost of `2.19 crore.”