PONDA: The villagers of Shivde-Dharbandora have demanded action against three families over illegal tapping of drinking water for irrigating their farms directly from the village water tank.
The villagers alleged that this water theft has been going on for last 12 years and due to this around 40 families are facing water shortage.
According to resident Yashwant Gautankar, the PWD, in 2007, had constructed the tank with a storage capacity of 11 lakh litres for supplying water to Shivde villagers.
However, despite this, the villagers were facing water shortage and recently they came to know that around three families have been illegally tapping the water from this water tank for irrigating their farms.
These families have directly connected their pipelines to the water tank and this has been going on for the past 12 years which has resulted in the water shortage.
The villagers said during lockdown period they complained to AE and to the local Sarpanch as well. However, so far no action has been taken and the illegal pipeline has not been disconnected as yet.
The villagers now demand that if government cannot initiate action on these three families then it should also provide free water to all forty families in the village.
The villagers also demanded government action into the matter and recover the cost of water consumed for the past 12 years.
