Keslapur (Adilabad): The shortage of the drinking water hit the devotees at inter-state Nagoba Jatara before its commencement at Keslarpur in Indravelli mandal of the district. The Jatara will begin with a special puja by the Mesram clan Adivasis to the serpentine god Nagoba late night on February 7 and the Jatara will continue up to February 11.
Mesram clan Adivasi devotees who already reached the temple from various parts of the district and also bordering Maharashtra, Chhatti-sgarh are facing a drinking water problem at the temple. As many 1,200 Adivasis along with their 220 bullock carts reached the temple premises on Saturday evening and number may rise to 500 by Sunday evening.
Only one drinking water tank was constructed near the banyan trees where the Mesram clan and other Adivasis are staying for the last three days. The borewell motor was damaged on Saturday forcing the Adivasis to travel long distances to collect drinking water for cooking and other purposes.
Large numbers of Adivasi women were seen in queue waiting for their turn to collect water from another borewell in the ground opposite to the place where they were staying and also at the water tank.
Two purified water plants were set up but water supply connections had not been given to the plant when this correspondent visited the place on Saturday evening.
Mesram Tukaram of Chanduri village Utnoor who came with his family said, there is drinking water problem and added that water problem was severe with the electric motor damaged.
Women and children were seen going with small buckets of water to temporary toilets as there was no water supply and some of the girls going for open defecation due to lack of water at the temporary toilets.
On the other hand, curing the road in front of the temple with water has just begun. The members of the Nagoba temple committee expressed displeasure over poor quality of a piece of CC road.
