Team Herald
PERNEM: Arambol villagers held a demonstration at the local tinto on Wednesday demanding regular water supply to the village.
At the last gram sabha, the villagers had decided to block the road at Arambol tinto to protest irregular water supply and to draw attention of the PWD to their plight.
Though the PWD officials ignored the warning of the villagers, Mandrem MLA Dayanand Sopte, taking the warning seriously, visited the Arambol and inspected the main pump house on Sunday. He was accompanied by PWD officials.
Later, Sopte asked the assistant engineer 36 hours to regulate water supply to the village.
When Sopte visited the village, the villagers complained to him that the village is facing irregular water supply sine last several years. “We held several protests outside the Pernem PWD office, however, the officials failed to take action,” a villager said.
The villagers further alleged that other villages receive water eight hours a day on regular basis, however, only the Arambol receives water on alternate days and that too only for two hours.
Villagers demanded that AE Wilson D’Souza be removed from Pernem since even after serving the taluka for more than five to six years, he failed to resolve the water issue.
Sopte informed the villagers that as per the direction given to the AE to restore the water within 36 hours, water in 75 percent of the village is already resolved and the AE has assured to regulate remaining 25 percent in the next two days.
“The village was facing irregular water supply issue from last many years. The local panchayat also failed to take steps due to which during the last gram Sabha, the locals decided to protest. But, the local MLA intervened into the matter and assured to solve the whole issue in next two days failing which, the AE will be transferred,” a villager Otavnekar said.
