Tribals thirst for a pot of water

MISERY CONTINUES: Tribal women of Kotha Tanda in Nalgonda district are forced to trek long distances in the searing heat to fetch drinking water.
Kotha Tanda (NALGONDA DT.): Despite their proximity to Krishna River, several tribal hamlets in Nereducherla mandal are reeling under acute scarcity of drinking water ahead of the summer.
Tribals living at Kotha Tanda under Jan Pahad gram panchayat limits where they were re-settled after displacement by the construction of the Nagarjunasagar project nearly four decades ago, are still awaiting a lasting solution to their recurring drinking water woes.
Depletion
Over 350 tribals are gripped by drinking water shortage mainly due to depletion of groundwater which is their only source of drinking water. The low yield from the existing borewell of the gram panchayat and erratic power supply has made the Elevated Level Service Reservoir in the hamlet virtually defunct.
“We have given up our ancestral lands for the Nagarjunasagar project, the lifeline of the State,” said Ramavath Saida, an elderly resident of Kotha Tanda. “Now, we are forced to fetch water from far off places. Often, we are at the mercy of the owners of agriculture wells due to water scarcity,” he said.
We spend hours to draw water either from the hand pump in the village or the wells at distant places,” bemoaned Ravi Naik, the sarpanch of neighbouring Bette Tanda.
‘Piped water'
“The Over Head Service Reservoir built last year has served little purpose due to inadequate water supply.
The old tank (Cistern) is unable to meet the drinking water needs of over 1,400 population of the hamlet,” he said.
“The government should implement a piped water supply scheme to find a permanent solution to our water problems,” he said.
New borewells
When contacted, Dy. Executive Engineer (RWS), Huzurnagar sub-division, P Venkat Reddy told The Hindu that new borewells were dug -- one at Kotha Tanda and Bette Tanda -- to augment drinking water supply. “Efforts are underway to lay pipelines and bring the newly drilled borewells into use,” he said.
A proposal for providing Krishna water to 55 habitations in the mandal at an estimated cost of Rs. 27.5 crore has been submitted to the government for approval, he added.