Women climb water tank to protest drinking water shortage in Hingoli village

Hingoli, Oct 31 (PTI) Women in Gondhankheda village in Maharashtra's Hingoli district climbed an overhead water tank on Saturday and staged a ‘Sholay-style’ protest over the severe drinking water shortage.

After nearly seven hours, the Block Development Officer, other administrative officials and personnel from Goregaon police station reached the spot and assured the women of an immediate solution and temporary arrangements for water supply.

    Following the assurance, the women agreed to end their protest.

Gondhankheda comes under the Jamthi-Gondhankheda group gram panchayat. Water was earlier supplied from a private well through a pipeline, for which villagers paid Rs 300 per month. However, the well owner recently disconnected the pipeline due to the falling groundwater level and shortage of water for agricultural use, local residents said.

Although an overhead water tank was constructed and a well was dug on private farmland nearly two years ago, the tank has remained unused, they said.

The women had submitted a complaint to the Panchayat Samiti seeking an immediate solution, but no action was taken, the residents claimed.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)