Uran: Facing a severe water crisis, hundreds of enraged residents from the Khopta Gram Panchayat area staged a unique protest on Tuesday, marching to the Gram Panchayat office accompanied by a traditional band. A large number of women participated, reflecting the deep-rooted frustration among villagers.
The affected region, comprising seven hamlets under the Khopta (Bandhpada) Gram Panchayat, relies on water supplied from CIDCO’s Hetwane Dam. However, despite this arrangement, more than 15,000 residents are grappling with an acute shortage of drinking water. Villagers say they have been forced to travel long distances in search of water, with no signs of resolution from the authorities.
“We’ve been suffering for a long time. The administration has remained unresponsive, and that’s why we had to protest — to wake them up,” said Sanjay Thakur, a local resident, while addressing the media.
In response, the Gram Vikas Officer acknowledged the water supply issue and confirmed that efforts are underway to repair leaking pipelines. “We are working to fix the damaged water lines and resume regular distribution as soon as possible,” the officer assured.
The crisis is not limited to Khopta. Several other areas dependent on the Hetwane Dam are facing similar issues. Residents in Ulwe, under the CIDCO jurisdiction, have reported low water pressure over the past week. A CIDCO official informed that a shutdown has been scheduled for April 9 for repair and maintenance, after which the situation is expected to improve.