Villagers, social activists, and tribal women from Ladivali village in Gulsunde Gram Panchayat in Panvel Taluka sit on an indefinite hunger strike from May 18 against the supply of contaminated water supply to at least 3 revenue villages and four tribal villages in front of the Divisional office in Panvel. They are demanding that they should be provided clean potable water from MIDC.
Santosh Thakur, a social worker from Gram Sanvardhan Samajik Sanstha, Bandhanvadi in Panvel says that around 12,000 populations have been facing water shortage for the last 15 years. “I have been following the issue in the last one year, government machinery is least bothered to solve the problem,” said Thakur, adding that government agencies' lethargy forced them to go on indefinite hunger strike.
According to Thakur, the treatment plant has become defunct and villagers are forced to drink contaminated water from the Patalganag water reservoir. “The lab tests found the water cannot be used for drinking and cooking purposes,” said Thakur.
Despite a sanction for the water treatment plant in the area, around 12,000 populations are forced to drink contaminated water.
They are also demanding to register a criminal case against the guilty Sarpanch, Gram Sevak, and Water Supply Engineer of Gulsunde Gram Panchayat for supplying contaminated water. The work on supplying water for Gulsunde Gram Panchayat, worth Rs 1.19 crore under 'Jal Jeevan Mission' should be started immediately.
