The Hindu : Yelwal residents stage protest for water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, May 18, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Yelwal residents stage protest for water

By Our Staff Correspondent

Residents of Yelwal and SUCI activists staged a protest in Mysore on Saturday demanding proper drinking water supply to the area.

Mysore May 17. Residents of Yelwal on the outskirts of the city and SUCI activists staged a demonstration today demanding Cauvery water to the area. They urged the authorities to mitigate the drinking water crisis.

The agitators also drew attention to lack of basic amenities in Yelwal, which was only 15 km. from the city and had emerged as a prominent commercial centre in the taluk.

The SUCI activists said Yelwal had emerged as a major hub for the surrounding villages and had a population of 15,000.

The residents of the area felt they had been neglected.

The perennial drinking water shortage in Yelwal and surrounding villages escalated with the onset of summer.

The protesters pointed out that the Belagola pumping station was close to Yelwal and a project supplying Cauvery water should be commissioned immediately.

At present, Yelwal and the surrounding villages receive water for less than an hour once a week, and the borewells which were of great help to the people had now become dry or were defunct.

This had compounded the misery of the villagers, the protesters said. The SUCI criticised the authorities for "ignoring" the basic needs of the people living close to the Krishnaraja Sagar Reservoir.

It said it was a disgrace that even 55 years after Independence people had to stand in queue and wait for hours for a pail of water.

This, the protesters said, was a colossal dereliction of responsibility.

"Instead of fulfilling the basic demands of society, the Government and the elected representatives were engaged in promoting globalisation, liberalisation, and privatisation for the benefit of a few at the cost of the many," they added.

The protestors staged a demonstration in front of the Deputy Commissioner's office with empty pots to draw attention to their predicament.

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