Devendra Gaonkar
VALPOI: Anyone who wants to experience what was life during the Stone Age need not look far off. All they need to do is to just visit Vante, a village in Sattari, as the life there nearly resembles Stone Age living – without water, roads and streetlights.
The 2500 inhabitants of Vante have been facing an acute shortage of water for the last 15 years.
According to sources, the government proposed to build a 2-MLD water treatment plant for Vante at a cost of Rs 2 crore. The project was tendered in 2008, but till date the government is yet to get the work order passed.
In the absence of running tap water for the past 15 years, the villagers are forced to depend on tankers that supply water only on alternate days.
Adding to the water woes is the poor roads. During monsoons, even the main road becomes muddy, making commuting along the same a difficult proposition. And when the sun sets, the village plunges into darkness as there are no streetlights for several years, say the villagers.
There are around 400 houses with a total number of 1200 voters who belong to the Scheduled Caste.
Anand Gawade, a resident, said that fifteen years ago they were supplied tap water by operating a motorised pump. However, the motor developed some disorder and became dysfunctional, leaving the taps run dry.
“The Water Supply Department officials have failed to repair the motor for many years. We had already complained about the same to the authorities concerned but our requests fell on deaf ears,” he complained.
“Our houses are located on hilly area, as such we are not receiving tap water and also due to the motor pump which is not yet repaired. Our village road is also in a bad condition,” complained another local Mahesh Vantekar.
Yamuna Gawade, a senior citizen, complained that water is supplied through tankers on alternate days and as such the village women are forced to fetch water from the river.
“Our village road being narrow and muddy, school bus drivers refuse to enter our village forcing our children walk to school daily,” complained Narayan Gawade, another villager.
When contacted, Assistant Engineer of Water Supply Department Eknath Paste said, “We will try our best to solve the water woes of Vante villagers.”
Nitin Shivdekar, a panch, said, “Vante is a hilly area and that’s why villagers are facing water shortage. If government commissions the 2 MLD water plant in our village, then, the water problem will be solved and we will get 24 hours water supply.”
“The tender for constructing a new road has been passed recently and the work will commence soon,” he added.
