PONDA: Some people, it is said, never learn from their mistakes. Within a week the Electricity Department has damaged once again an underground water pipeline at Apewal in the same locality causing water shortage at Priol on Friday evening.

Locals were furious after the incident because they had warned the Department about the underground pipeline well in advance to avert a similar mistake. It is noticed that workers allegedly just keep digging carelessly. This second breakdown occurred despite the locals cautioning and urging the workers to be careful with their accelerated digging.

Apewal, Pisgal and parts of Priol Constituency were the areas affected due to the damaged caused to the pipeline.

Krishnanath, a local, and many villagers said that they repeatedly told the workers not to dig at one particular spot at the roadside as they were fully aware of the underground water line. However, the Electricity Department staff verbally clashed with them and continued digging and finally damaged the water pipeline causing water shortage to Priol residents.

The locals have now warned that if the Electricity Department fails to bring their officials with them while carrying out the digging work, they would not allow them to dig in their area. The locals opine that there should be proper coordination between Electricity and water supply division, in the absence of which they are facing water shortage.

It may be recalled that on December 1, Querim residents suffered water shortage on the eve of the annual two-day Kallo (Zatra) festival, after a pipeline was damaged by the Electricity Department while drilling hole to erect an electric pole.