Poor drinking water facilities at many polling booths, mostly in rural areas, remain a concern for voters, who turned up in large numbers to exercise their democratic right in the Lok Sabha polls on Friday.
While the water cans at booths located in the city and in towns were found with water dispensers or tumblers, 20-litre water cans were just placed on booths in rural areas without water dispensers or cups to enable voters to drink water. A 65-year-old voter who came to the booth at the Panchayat Union Middle School at 46 Pudur Panchayat in Modakkurichi Assembly constituency, could not quench his thirst, and expressed his concern over the failure of election officials to fulfill basic amenities. “Officials could have placed a few tumblers near the cans,” said the voter.
In the absence of a facility to drink water, many have to purchase water from nearby shops or have to borrow from a few voters who carried water bottles to the polling booths. The average mercury level was 41 degree Celsius across the district on Friday and despite severe heat wave conditions, polling was brisk from the morning till evening.