Obamma of Hussainpura village in Pavagada taluk sets out with empty pots early in the morning every day and walks about 4 km to Shapura village in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. She returns about two hours later with filled pots of drinking water.
This is the routine of many women in the drought-hit villages in the border taluk of Pavagada. While water availability is poor because of drought, what is making the situation worse is the fact that defluoridation plants in some of the villages are defunct because of lack of maintenance, and those working have failed to provide sufficient quantity of drinking water.
People of around 75 villages go to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to get drinking water, said Sogadu Venkatesh, who is a member of district planning committee. Though there are government borewells, many have dried up. Though there are a few private borewells, the owners deny water to all people, saying they have spent lakhs of rupees to drill the borewells. “Bathing is a luxury. People in my village can bathe once a week if lucky,” says Ms. Obamma. Akkamma of Vadrevu village told The Hindu , “I am a little relieved because my children have summer holidays. They help me get water on their cycles.”
Tahsildar of Pavagada taluk T.K. Thippu Rao told The Hindu this situation had not come to his notice and he would provide water by tankers.
