Adilabad: It is strange that some leaders get to know about the acute drinking water problem in the villages only during their election campaign of Lok Sabha elections. This is true of the seven Assembly constituencies in old Adilabad district. Sometimes, political leaders during their election campaign, even try and avoid scenes where large number of women are seen fetching water from the wells or bringing home the water in plastic and iron drums in bullock carts from far-off distances.
In fact in certain villages where the water problem is critical, political leaders who are organising meetings there, are purchasing water in tankers and mineral water from the water purifying plants in nearby towns. But the promises being made to the villagers are aplenty, with most campaigning leaders promising the local people that their drinking water problems would be resolved just after the completion of the Lok Sabha elections.
If the locals are sceptical and are vocalising their thoughts, the campaigning leaders are pleading with them to not judge them too harshly as they could not concentrate on the issue, due to other pressing matters that required their attention.
There is a steep fall in the ground water table in the agency areas especially in hilly areas following the high temperatures compounded with the fact that streams and rivulets are on the verge of drying up.
Said a local villager from a district in Old Adilabad, “The entire government machinery is busy conducting elections for Lok Sabha and are least bothered about the drinking water problem faced by the people.”
Another disgruntled villager in his mid-thirties said, “all the ten TRS MLAs and sitting MP are busy in the election campaign. This is true of the opposition leaders too.”
Meanwhile, high temperatures are being recorded from the beginning of summer itself this year and many locals are collecting drinking water from the nearby agriculture wells.
