Agartala, June 8 (TIWN): Lack of safe drinking water and source of protected drinking water in North and South Kachucherra Panchayat of Kumarghat results in bacteriological contamination due to which the villagers have been suffering from diarrhea, cholera and hepatitis.

Acute water shortage in the said areas disrupted economic and social activities of workers and the inhabitants. The entire area runs dry affecting lift irrigation and potable water supply in urban localities. The inhabitants of Kachucherra have to face acute shortage of water every year during drought. The DWS department is located in Kachucherra bazaar. A number of houses were deprived of water connectivity. IRP was set up but of no use. Though there were 2 staffs, yet IRP has been remaining out of order. Water has been supplied through road-side taps which is impure and iron-content. Water was pumped out from deep tube-well and later supplied using bleaching powder. Impure water has been supplied without IRP.

Owing to inadequate supply of water, people are forced to queue at the wells points for long periods just to have water. Shortage of water for industrial and domestic use and even for drinking purpose is a cause of concern throughout the world especially in developing and under-developed countries. India is already experiencing water shortage and the problem will become very acute in the near future unless preventive measures are taken on a substantial scale.

Summers are here and the hilly areas as well as several villages are already complaining about water shortages not to mention many villages which lack safe drinking water. There is an urgent need to look for alternative sources of portable water in places where water quality has deteriorated sharply. People should be encouraged to look at traditional methods of protecting water sources. Also in places where ground water has arsenic or fluoride, surface water should be considered as an alternative. Hence, proper initiatives should be taken for a sort out to the problem of water shortage.