Kerala - Kozhikode   

For water, they will go without food

Kozhikode: Activists of the Bharatanjali Swasreya Gramam, a Gandhian organisation here, will stage a hunger strike in protest against the alleged apathy of the authorities in supplying drinking water in a colony at Chelapram in Kakkodi grama panchayat limits in the district.

K.V. Krishnan, coordinator of the organisation, said here on Tuesday that no steps had been taken to solve the drinking water shortage at Purangottukunnu Nalucentu Michabhoomi colony for more than a decade. The panchayat and the district administration had not taken any measures, though the people had been airing their grievances.

Several families had no option but to shift from the colony. The organisation had petitioned Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan about the shortage, he said.

The local body drew up a Rs.5-lakh drinking water scheme in 1997. The beneficiaries contributed Rs.1.5 lakh.

The project was completed and the then Minister for Electricity, S. Sarma, inaugurated it in 1999.

However, the residents areas did not get any benefits as no water tanks had been constructed.

The pipes meant to supply water remained, Mr. Krishnan said.

A well constructed for the scheme had contaminated water. Samples of the water were tested under the organisation’s initiative.

The Kerala Water Authority and the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management furnished reports on this to the District Collector in 2002.

The residents requested the Collector in February to take steps to provide water. They approached him again in April. But there was no response, Mr. Krishnan said.

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