Water crisis intensifies in Ambegaon & Junnar, tankers pressed into service in 31 tribal villages

Pune: The Zilla Parishad started water supply through tankers at tribal villages in Ambegaon and Junnar tehsil, after they faced a severe drinking water crisis for the past few weeks.
According to the Zilla Parishad (ZP) reports, tanker water is being supplied to 31 villages in rural Pune. Tankers are ferrying water to 14 villages in Ambegaon alone, followed by nine in Junnar tehsil, five in Khed tehsil and two in Purandar tehsil so far. About 53,609 people living in these villages currently rely on tanker water.

The situation might worsen in the coming weeks, said the ZP officials. Tribal activists and villagers blamed the authorities concerned, including the ZP, for doing little work in water conservation for the past few years. They said these two tehsils were known for receiving heavy rainfall in the monsoon, but every year, these tribal hamlets face a drinking water shortage.
These villages are situated at the foothills and hills of the Sahyadri mountains. Some of them are nestled in the hills and forests. At some places, people have to walk for kilometres to fetch drinking water from natural springs and water bodies daily, said the activist.
Budhaji Damse, a tribal activist from Ambegaon tehsil, told TOI, "The authorities have never paid heed to this issue for years. Some villages are totally dependent on the dam water. In summer, as the water level recedes, residents of these villages have to walk kilometres for water. A proper network of drinking water has to be developed in 30 villages in Ambegaon tehsil, located in the backwater of the Dimbe dam in Ambegaon tehsil."
"Moreover, the authorities need to initiate water conservation work in these villages to enhance the groundwater level so that villagers can go for borewells to meet their water requirements. It is unfortunate to see this condition every summer," he added.
Gajanan Patil, the chief executive officer of ZP, Pune, told TOI, "We have initiated cleaning of old water tanks located on the hills in these tehsils." When asked what is the specific plan for water conservation work, Patil said, "We are in the process to implement certain works."
Activists pointed out that despite heavy rainfall in these tehsils every year, these villages have been grappling with the drinking water issue for the last few decades. "Five dams (three in Junnar tehsil) in these two tehsils have become a lifeline for villages not only in Pune but in Ahmednagar and Beed districts as they get water through canal networks of these dams. Villagers living in the vicinity of these dams are struggling for drinking water. Isn't it a big failure of the authorities concerned?" asked activist Bharat Gute from Junnar.
The first thing in the morning for us is to fetch water for daily purposes, said Digambar Bhalchim, former sarpanch of Malin village. "Our hamlet has been getting water through tankers for the last few weeks. We have been urging authorities to conserve natural water bodies. Clearing of natural springs, desilting the beds of water bodies and certain infrastructure work are necessary. The authorities have done little over the years. We have to walk kilometres daily to get water despite high rainfall every year," added Bhalchim.
The ZP authorities over the years have failed to even desilt these bodies. "A proper conservation plan has to be implemented on a mission mode. Often authorities ignore the issue once the summer is over. They do not have a long-term plan. They supply water through tankers. But what about livestock? We have to take them to natural water bodies only," said Vijay Lembhe, another tribal activist from Malin village.
Ends MSID:: 120488163 413 |
Pune: The Zilla Parishad started water supply through tankers at tribal villages in Ambegaon and Junnar tehsil, after they faced a severe drinking water crisis for the past few weeks.
According to the Zilla Parishad (ZP) reports, tanker water is being supplied to 31 villages in rural Pune. Tankers are ferrying water to 14 villages in Ambegaon alone, followed by nine in Junnar tehsil, five in Khed tehsil and two in Purandar tehsil so far. About 53,609 people living in these villages currently rely on tanker water.
The situation might worsen in the coming weeks, said the ZP officials. Tribal activists and villagers blamed the authorities concerned, including the ZP, for doing little work in water conservation for the past few years. They said these two tehsils were known for receiving heavy rainfall in the monsoon, but every year, these tribal hamlets face a drinking water shortage.
These villages are situated at the foothills and hills of the Sahyadri mountains. Some of them are nestled in the hills and forests. At some places, people have to walk for kilometres to fetch drinking water from natural springs and water bodies daily, said the activist.
Budhaji Damse, a tribal activist from Ambegaon tehsil, told TOI, "The authorities have never paid heed to this issue for years. Some villages are totally dependent on the dam water. In summer, as the water level recedes, residents of these villages have to walk kilometres for water. A proper network of drinking water has to be developed in 30 villages in Ambegaon tehsil, located in the backwater of the Dimbe dam in Ambegaon tehsil."
"Moreover, the authorities need to initiate water conservation work in these villages to enhance the groundwater level so that villagers can go for borewells to meet their water requirements. It is unfortunate to see this condition every summer," he added.
Gajanan Patil, the chief executive officer of ZP, Pune, told TOI, "We have initiated cleaning of old water tanks located on the hills in these tehsils." When asked what is the specific plan for water conservation work, Patil said, "We are in the process to implement certain works."
Activists pointed out that despite heavy rainfall in these tehsils every year, these villages have been grappling with the drinking water issue for the last few decades. "Five dams (three in Junnar tehsil) in these two tehsils have become a lifeline for villages not only in Pune but in Ahmednagar and Beed districts as they get water through canal networks of these dams. Villagers living in the vicinity of these dams are struggling for drinking water. Isn't it a big failure of the authorities concerned?" asked activist Bharat Gute from Junnar.
The first thing in the morning for us is to fetch water for daily purposes, said Digambar Bhalchim, former sarpanch of Malin village. "Our hamlet has been getting water through tankers for the last few weeks. We have been urging authorities to conserve natural water bodies. Clearing of natural springs, desilting the beds of water bodies and certain infrastructure work are necessary. The authorities have done little over the years. We have to walk kilometres daily to get water despite high rainfall every year," added Bhalchim.
The ZP authorities over the years have failed to even desilt these bodies. "A proper conservation plan has to be implemented on a mission mode. Often authorities ignore the issue once the summer is over. They do not have a long-term plan. They supply water through tankers. But what about livestock? We have to take them to natural water bodies only," said Vijay Lembhe, another tribal activist from Malin village.
Ends MSID:: 120488163 413 |