JOIN USAcute shortage of water, no regular supply of power, overflowing drainage, dilapidated school buildings, lack of sanitation and many more problems have made the life of residents at Arasanahalli in Malur difficult.
Residents of Arasanahalli are forced to wait for water, even forgoing their work as regular supply of drinking water has been stopped three months ago.
Arasanahalli has around 300 houses, where most of the people are dependent on agricultural activities. But non availability of water sources like rivers or lakes, they have to depend on wells and borewells for water. But this year, the crops withered due to drought and they had to incur heavy loss. Disheartened farmers have started animal husbandry in a hope to recover from the loss.
The lone borewell in the village has gone dry since three months. Though residents have made repeated requests demanding supply of water, nothing has been materialised yet. Presently, the residents fetch water from Dommalur, Baragur and Hulimangala, the neighbouring villages.
No power
Yielding to the repeated requests of the people, the Gram Panchayat has made arrangements to supply drinking water from a borewell in Huliyurdurga. This has created new problem as residents of the village have to queue up to get water, which comes only for a limited time.
Niranthara Jyothi Scheme, which ensures uninterrupted power supply, has not been implemented in Arasanahalli. This has affected the people as they have to first wait for the power supply to get drinking water from the borewell. So, most of the times, they have to forgo their work and wait for power and then get drinking water. Due to lack of water some have already sold the cattle.
Sanitation problem
Garbage has piled up in front of the houses due to lack of proper drain facility. Unbearable stench emanates from the garbage, which people are forced to bear with. This has also increased mosquito menace in surrounding areas.
Other major problems include, electrical cables dangling, posing danger to people. Only anganwadi in the village is in a dilapidated condition.
“Due to bad condition of the building, parents have expressed concern over safety of their children and are not willing to send them to anganwadi. Moreover, even teacher does not come to the school regularly,” says Rajamma, Assistant at the Anganwadi Centre.
Some years back, when the village had faced drinking water problem, the residents had raised funds and had sunk a borewell. Then they got their money back after collecting revenue.
“The village is facing the same problem again and no authority is responding to our requests. We will wait for two days, if no action is taken we will try to sink another borewell,” said Suresh, a resident of Arasanahalli.