Team Herald
PONDA: Frustrated residents of Prabunagar, Curti, staged a protest at the PWD office in Ponda on Thursday after enduring five days without water. Angry locals warned they would block roads in a ‘rasta roko’ protest if their water supply was not restored immediately.
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The ongoing water crisis has intensified across Ponda taluka with temperatures soaring and taps running dry. Earlier this week, residents from Usgao and Bethora also confronted the PWD over similar issues.
Desperate Prabunagar residents met Assistant Engineer (AE) Kashinath Saraf at the PWD office, demanding urgent action. The locals, who have been struggling without water for nearly a week, shared their ordeal — some were forced to purchase expensive water tankers, while others relied on bottled water even for cooking and flushing toilets.
“We are forced to use public toilets at the Ponda bus stand, nearly a kilometre away from our homes,” said one resident. Another resident complained of receiving only muddy water when supply resumed. The crisis has severely impacted daily life, with school students and working families facing significant inconvenience.
The residents, accompanied by social activist Dr. Ketan Bhatikar, pressed the PWD to act swiftly. AE Saraf assured the protesters that his team would inspect the area and instructed staff to identify and rectify any faults in the supply system without delay.
With the summer heat intensifying early this year, the crisis has seen residents from multiple parts of Ponda repeatedly thronging the PWD office, demanding reliable water supply.
If immediate measures are not taken, residents have vowed to escalate their protest by staging a ‘Rasta Roko’ to highlight their plight.
