Villagers lock GP office over drinking water crisis in Afzalpur taluk

Kalaburagi: Drinking water problems increased in villages of Afzalpur taluk, and villagers of Balurgi expressed their agitation by locking the gram panchayat office on Wednesday.

They alleged that although Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) work was completed in the village, the project was not handed over to the gram panchayat till date. They said some pipes under the JJM works were damaged and no one came forward to repair them. The villagers also alleged that the water level in borewells collapsed, which made villagers suffer without drinking water.

The village has a total population of 5,000. Villagers submitted memoranda to the taluk administration multiple times regarding the drinking water problems, but they went unanswered, they alleged.

When the gram panchayat officer was questioned about repairing the borewell, the gram panchayat development officer said they did not have the govt grant to repair borewells. After hearing this, villagers locked the gram panchayat office on Wednesday and protested.

Speaking to media, Balurgi gram panchayat development officer Santhosh Basanur said, “He has asked the govt several times to give the grant to repair borewells, but govt has not given the grant till now. So villagers have locked us out of the gram panchayat office."