Potable water is a luxury here

Poor residents of Irukalamma Temple face problems due to lack of proper drinking water supply. Photo: K. Ravikumar

For over 10 years, they have been living in the vicinity of the Iruskalamma Temple area with poor sanitation and drinking water facilities.

The poor residents, who constitute mostly migrated tribals, have requested local leaders and political parties to address the issue several times, but there has been no solution.

The municipal corporation authorities have laid a pipeline and arranged for a tap adjacent to the open drain flowing beside the road there. Stench and movement of stay animals have been a constant source of concern for the residents.

“Our only concern is about our health. It is more problematic for children,” said Ramamma, a long-time resident of the area.

Nearly 1,000 poor and destitute families live in the surroundings of the Irukalamma Temple. As the place was located on the outlying areas of Nellore city, there was not much development a decade ago. Now buildings and houses have come up in large numbers all over the place.

The poor people continued to live here with the leaders and political parties assuring to improve amenities.

Presently, the officials are giving drinking water supply for three hours daily in two spells, from 6 a.m. to 7.30 a.m. and during the same timings in the evening.

As hundreds of families depend on this facility, crowds of women and children are witnessed at the tap during these hours. The residents request for improvement of sanitation and also relocation of the tap in some hygienic place nearby.