Dalit colony at Indrali fighting for a drop of water

Udupi: People are suffering without a drop of water here, but if they are to stay in wait for water, there will be no one to earn their daily bread. This is the present situation of the residents of the dalit colony at Manchi colony in Indrali ward.

No solution provided to the persistent problem

There are 1,250 houses in Indrali ward and the total population is around 6,000 people. Even though water is provided to them once in three days similar to other locations, the water is not reaching the dalit colony since it is located in an elevated area. This not a new problem and has been persisting sine several years but the municipality officials have failed to notice this problem, it is alleged.

Some of the houses at V P Nagar, Indrali railway station, Durganagar and Hayagriva Nagar have well and alternate facility to store water. But the houses located in the elevated areas like Manjushri Nagar, Kela Manchi, Manchi, Manchi school, Manchi Kameria do not have the necessary facility to collect water  and hence, these area are f acing a greater intensity of lack of water.

Go to another area for a bath

There is not enough water to take bath. The situation is so bad one has to repeatedly wear used clothes. The water beign supplied by the municipality is failing to reach homes located in an elevated area, complaint the people of the colony.

Water is costlier than food

My son’s wedding in in the month of May. Relatives will come on the occasion of the celebrations. I am worried on what to do if the water problem persists until then. The expenditure on water will be more than the expenditure on the food for the wedding, says Anand of Manjushri Nagar

Witnessing such scarcity of water for the first time

I have been living in Durga Nagar since 33 years, but never have I encountered such severe lack of water. The water problem is increasing by the year. Currently, the water being provided once in three days by the municipality is insufficient. We are 8 people in the house. All of us go to work. One amongst us has to take a day off to lie in wait to collect the water when it comes, informs fisherwoman Vanaja, a resident of Indrali.

Demands of the people of the ward

• Provide tanker water
• Provide alternative facility to store water
• Build an over head tank

Problem can be solved through an over head tank

“There is one over head tank at V P Nagar in Indrali ward. The water must reach Manchi which is located 3 km away from the tank. Even if the water is left at 6 am in the morning, it will not reach the destination even if its 2 pm in the afternoon. Instead, if an over head tank id created in this area, the problem will be solved,” points out Ashok, Member of Municipality, Indrali Ward

No facility to store water

The water problem has intensified since the last one month. There are no tanks to store the water which comes once in five days. We fill the water in buckets, cans and other utensils. But that water is only used for cooking, informs Jayanti, a resident of Manchi

No water for colonies located in elevated areas

Five feet tall tanks created by the municipality exist at the dalit colony in Manchi. If water is collected in it, then the colony will not face so severe a shortage of water. But this area is at a higher elevation in comparison to other areas in the ward. Since the water pressure drops during the summers, water is not reaching this colony.