This story is from May 16, 2022

Yavatmal taps dry, no funds flowing in for water supply

Yavatmal taps dry, no funds flowing in for water supply
backS to the wall
Yavatmal: It’s a never-ending struggle for water in Yavatmal city. The harsh summer compounds the problem for citizens. Taps are usually dry, with water flowing once in seven days or even once a fortnight when the crisis deepens.
Every year, action plan is proposed and funds sanctioned but they arrive by August or September. Ultimately, the funds are diverted for other programmes and a major share falls into the wrong hands, said sources.
The Nilona tank is the only source of drinking water which was commissioned in the early 70s when the population was around 25,000.
Today, the population has grown to over five lakh. People are mostly dependent on borewells and wells that need to be drilled deeper every summer to fetch water.
The central government had allotted Rs302 crore under Amrut Yojana for laying 25km pipeline from Bembla Irrigation project to the city. During the trials, the pipeline burst at a number of places allegedly due to substandard quality.
The then district guardian minister Madan Yerawar of BJP had declared that water from Bembla would reach city by May 31, 2018. He won the 2019 assembly election, but isn’t a minister now. Not much has been heard from Yerawar about the pending project since then.
The Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran is executing the Bembla project. A couple of days ago, district collector Amol Yedge chaired a review meeting which was attended by the deputy CEO Manojkumar Chaudh, MJP executive engineer Praful Vyavahare and another EE Pradip Kolhe.

The collector has directed the officials to ensure no household is deprived of tap water connection. He also declared that those found guilty of committing lapses in the water supply schemes will be punished.
District guardian minister Sandeepan Bhumre on Maharashtra Day had directed officials to expedite the Bembla project and declared that water from the reservoir will reach homes in city by May 31. Vyavahare said said no funds have been received for the water supply scheme so far. “How can these multi-crore schemes be executed unless the fund are received?” he said and added that they are not even able to pay bills for tender advertisements issued in newspapers.
The water scarcity has forced women to take out morchas to the MJP office but they have reportedly been given only hollow promises. The water supply department charges a minimum Rs350 per month even if the supply is restricted to 2-3 hours on a fortnightly basis. The charge is to be levied for daily water supply. Even the consumer forum had ordered not to bill consumers for the non-supply period.
Towns like Digras, Mahagaon, Fulsavangi, Umarkhed, Pusad and Arni are also facing acute drinking water shortage. Women are taking out morchas carrying empty vessels to the civic offices.
Kalpana Pawar, a social worker who had led a morcha of women to the water supply department at Digras Municipal Council over the issue, said authorities are looking the other way. “Water management should ideally begin six months before onset of summer, but the council authorities sit pretty till then. The official speak rudely to people approaching them with their grievances,” she said.
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