Guntur: The residents of the newly-merged colony of Pedapalakaluru and its surrounding areas are facing water problem due to the negligence of the Guntur Municipal Corporation (GMC) officials and public representatives who failed to replenish the Pedapalakaluru pond, which fulfils the need of nearly 6,000 people.
Residents of Pedapalakaluru, Swarna-ndhra Nagar, Ratnagiri Colony and three other colonies, who depend on the pond for water, began to rely on groundwater, the level of which is also dropping steadily.
K. Nagendramma, who lives near the pond, has been buying water since the last six months at Rs 50 per drum as her borewell had dried up. The water crisis could have been avoided if the officials had performed their duties.
Residents of the area are unhappy with the officials for being forced to bear with the inconvenience. Mr. Sk. China Jani, a resident of Pedapalakaluru, pointed out that the existing borewells were not sufficient for the locality’s water requirements.
Mr. Sk. Nagur, another resident of the area, said they were carrying water to their homes from borewells at far off places. He faulted the political leaders and officials for not bothering about the crisis.
GMC officials said their plea to the irrigation officials to develop the Pedapalakaluru pond under the Neeru-Chettu programme fell on deaf ears.
Guntur Municipal Corporation AE T.V. Ramana said that since there was no water in River Krishna, they could not fill the pond and feared the areas are likely to face severe shortage of water this summer. “The people in the colonies will have to depend on tanks or tankers this season.”
He said GMC cannot supply water through pipes as there was no pipe network in the areas. At present, the GMC is providing water to the people through borewells which can dry up if heat intensifies.
