Andhra Pradesh: CPM Stages Road Blockade Over Water Crisis
The protest was held in front of the GVMC Assistant Engineer's office near Durgalamma Temple in Balajinagar: Reports
VISAKHAPATNAM: The city unit of the CPM on Friday staged a dharna and blocked a road at Arilova, one of the worst-affected areas in Visakhapatnam, demanding daily drinking water supply through municipal taps and immediate measures to address the worsening water crisis.
The protest was held in front of the GVMC Assistant Engineer's office near Durgalamma Temple in Balajinagar. Residents carrying empty pots gathered in large numbers to highlight the acute shortage of drinking water.
Finding no officials at the office, the protesters staged a rasta roko, disrupting traffic for some time. Several motorists reportedly expressed support for the agitation, acknowledging the severity of the water shortage.
Senior CPM leader Dr B. Gangarao said residents of several localities, including Sriharinagar, Gandhinagar, Ravindranagar, Balajinagar, Musthafa Colony, Bharat Nagar, ST Colony, TIC Point, Nehru Nagar, Rajiv Nagar, Durga Nagar, Surya Teja Nagar, Lakshmi Nagar, Durgabazar, Shivaji Nagar, Arilova Colony and hill areas such as Sanjay Gandhi Nagar and Simhagiri Colony, were facing an acute shortage of drinking water.
He alleged that residents were forced to wait for hours without knowing when municipal water would be supplied, often missing work to collect water.