Tribal women from Vilholi village in Nashik held an intense protest at the Panchayat Samiti office on Friday (April 4), demanding a proper drinking water supply. The protest was led by Bhagwan Madhe, founder-president of the Elgar Workers' Association. Chanting slogans like “Water is our right, not anyone’s charity,” the women entered the office premises, demanding immediate action.
Currently, families in the Vilholi Gram Panchayat area are forced to cross the busy Mumbai-Agra Highway to fetch water from a distant well. Due to the lack of proper water supply, many are falling ill after consuming unsafe and unclean water.
Around 3 pm, Group Development Officer Maunia Nakade met the protestors and assured them that water tankers would start supplying water from Saturday (April 5). He also promised to send a proposal to the district administration for providing tap water connections under the Har Ghar Nal Yojana.
Protestors said they have been following up with the administration for months, and despite earlier promises, no action had been taken. Frustrated, the women took a strong stand to get their voices heard. Officials urged them to remain patient, assuring that concrete action would now be taken.