Last five months, there is water shortage problem at Devus Wada Hivrem village in Sattari.
“Past few months we are using rain water, which is often dirty, to drink and prepare food and for all other purposes. We have complained to the water supply department of Valpoi. But till today they have not taken any action. Ganesh Chaturthi is at our door, how can we celebrate this festival without drinking water?” the villagers wonder.
In Devus Wada, there are 25 houses with 130 villagers residing in the village.
“Long back, I had sent a written complaint to the Water Supply Department, Valpoi that our villagers are facing water shortage problems and now they are drinking rain water which is not clean water. I had also done a follow-up. But they have not taken any action,” says Satyawan Sukado Gaonkar, panch member.
“The PWD water supply tanker is coming every day in our village but it is not supplying water for us. We have inquired with them, they tell us that they don’t have permission,” says Kashinath Tanode, a villager.
There is one well in our vaddo. Four years back we had given a written memorandum to the water supply department to clean this well and fix a pump. The water supply department had cleaned that well and fixed a water pump but within a year, they took the pump back, says another villager. Last five months, we are drinking dirty rain water and besides this we are cooking daily food with help of rain water,” says Poonam Punaji Gaonkar, a village woman.
The villagers are now planning a morcha to the PWD office to get their attention. However the PWD department has a different statement to make.
“I didn’t get any complaint from villagers that they are facing water shortage problem for the past few months,” says Eknath Paste, Assistant Engineer of Water Supply Department, Valpoi.
“Despite no water supply, we are getting Rs 500 water bills every month. When we make inquiries they tell us that our water connection meter unit is working. So that’s why we are getting water bills,” says another village woman Kala Sanjay Gaonkar.
“How are we getting enormous water bills, we ask the person who issues the bills without getting any water. Their foolish answer is ‘natural air is going inside the water meter which keeps moving very fast’”, says Sneha Gurudas Tanode, a village woman.
“I have two water connections in my house, but still I am not getting water,” says a village old woman Parvati Majik.
“We are drinking rain water for the past few months due to which our children are falling sick. And the PWD officers are not taking any action. They are getting 24 hours water in their flats and here we are drinking rain water,” complains Ganesh Gawas, a villager.
