Kharghar residents protest for water

Irked over poor water supply and frequent usage of water tankers, residents of various sectors in Kharghar staged a protest outside the Cidco office on Wednesday. The issue is prevalent in various areas from several months to three years.

Residents of Sectors 11, 12, 13, 19, 20 in Kharghar demanded a solution for the problem they have been facing.

Samiya Pawaskar (48), a home maker from Sujata Apartment at Sector 13, said, “Since the last three years, we have been suffering due to low pressure and less supply of water. We keep several buckets filled with water every day. Our mental peace has been affected and if a solution is not found, we will take severe steps to bring our problem before the higher authorities. For years, we have only been hearing that ‘work is in progress’.”

During the lockdown, the situation became worse. Pawaskar added, “Our income was affected. We have been spending money daily on water tankers. If there is a shortage, from where are the tankers getting water. This makes us suspicious that there would be a mafia operating to create this shortage, forcing us to purchase water from them.”

Sriram Sharma, 44, from Kesar Symphony in Sector 19, said, “There are no fixed timings for water supply. The private tanker water has a foul stench and is expensive. We have to keep requesting Cidco to send us water tankers. If the request is made in the morning, we receive it only by evening,” Sharma said.

Sharma claimed that earlier, Cidco used to stop water supply once or twice in four months for maintenance and the residents were informed about it. “Now, it’s irregular and our routine lives are disrupted because of that,” Sharma said.

Netra Kiran Patil, a BJP Corporator from Kharghar, said, “People, not only from my ward but also from other wards, are suffering. I have been constantly writing to Cidco and meeting them but there has been no concrete solution.”

Calls and messages to Dalal, Cidco chief engineer Ranjan Dhayatkar and PRO Priya Ratambe went unanswered.