Deekshith D V
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Jul 23: Water scarcity in the midst of heavy downpour is rather strange. But that's exactly the case in Jalligudde here. Though it has been pouring cats and dogs and water bodies are swelling, the residents of this area are hard pressed because of scarcity of drinking water. There has been no water supply from the last 20 days in this area, making life a living hell for residents.

The residents of Jalligudde, which falls under Mangaluru City Corporation limits are facing a pathetic situation without drinking water and water for various other needs.

It is learnt that residents here are forced to collect and use rainwater to quench their thirst and for other basic needs, as there is no proper water supply from MCC to this area. People are deprived of their basic facilities like drinking water and proper drainage system in the vicinity. Their prolonged anguish seems to fall on deaf ears and administrators are yet to come out with a plan to help these people.

The residents also complain that during the monsoon, they have to live nightmarish days without proper road and drainage facilities. The lack of adequate drainage adds further woes as the road becomes slippery and waterlogged. In other words, it's a situation where literally there is 'water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink!'

Several men and women expressed their anger over the negligence of the local administration which is yet to come out with a plan to deal with the traumatic situation.

Geetha, one of the residents of Jalligudde, vented her anguish saying, "I have to look after two physical challenged persons in my home. Since there is no water supply from the last 20 days, we are using rain water to drink after filtering it with clothes."

Revati, another resident of the area, who works as a daily wager also complained, "My husband is a heart patient and I go for work during the day. When I come home, I find no water. To fetch water, I need to climb 72 slippery steps, and when it rains, it becomes a tedious task."

She further said, "We don’t want lavish facilities but we urge the administration to provide basic amenities like drinking water and proper drainage system in our locality."

Umavathi also complained about the shortage of drinking water and alleged Bajal corporator Sumaiya of negligence and failure to respond to the problem. "Being a corporator, if she cannot respond to the problems of people then why is she a corporator at all?"

Fathima, an elderly woman said, "I cannot fetch water by walking a long distance. The water problem is haunting many people in the vicinity."

Another resident Mohammed Asif also complained about drinking water problem in the vicinity of Jalligudde.

"There is no proper drain and the rain water flows on the roadside and makes it very slippery," said Mohan, a local.

There are more than 200 houses in the vicinity of the Jalligude and all of them are facing these problems. The residents have already approached the corporator but yet are yet to get any positive response. They also alleged that the corporator has no phone of her own and they have to call on her husband's number, which often does not get the required response. Even daijiworld's efforts to reach the corporator failed, as the number (allegedly her husband's, but listed on the MCC website) was not reachable.

People have also complained to the mayor, who, they said, had assured to visit the place on Thursday July 23 at 3 pm but failed to turn up.

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