PARVATHIPURAM MANYAM: Residents of Tumarada village in Balijipeta mandal staged a protest with empty pots on Thursday, demanding immediate relief from the severe drinking water crisis.
Several villages in the Parvathipuram-Manyam district have been struggling with acute water shortages for the past two months due to the inadequate summer action plan im-plemented by Rural Water Supply (RWS) department officials.
The defunct overhead water tank in Tumarada has left residents dependent on local streams, pits, and agricultural wells. Many villagers walk up to three kilometres to fetch drinking water, while others wait two to three hours at borewells for a single bucket.
Tribal villages in Gummalaxmipuram, Komarada, Kurupam, Pachipenta, and Salur mandals face similar hardships due to depleting groundwater levels and insufficient supply from authorities.
Tumarada resident Gowramma mentioned infront of TNIE, "We have been struggling without drinking water for years. The small overhead tank in our village does not provide enough water, and RWS officials release water only once a week due to a technical issue with the motor pump."
She added, "We have urged all political parties to resolve our water crisis ahead of the elections. If the district administration fails to act, we will intensify our protest."
Another villager, Laxmi, told TNIE, "We have only one hand pump, but the water flow is minimal due to the declining groundwater level. We wait for two hours just to collect one bucket of water."
She mentioned, "Despite repeated complaints to local authorities, no action has been taken. With the overhead tank supplying water for a very short duration only once a week, we struggle to fill even two pots."
Residents have demanded immediate intervention from the district administration to ensure an adequate water supply.
Authorities have yet to respond to the escalating crisis, leaving villagers increasingly frustrated. With summer approaching, the situation is expected to worsen unless urgent measures are taken.