Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar : With tap connections yet to reach their homes and borewells running dry, many Satara-Deolai residents climbed an under-construction elevated water reservoir on Sunday morning to protest against the worsening water crisis .




The protest underscored the desperation in the densely populated no-network areas, where residents say water scarcity has set in as early as Oct following poor rainfall. With no municipal tap water, many are now dependent on costly private tankers.




Residents warned that they would stop paying civic taxes if the municipal corporation failed to provide water in the coming weeks.




“We have been part of the municipal corporation for more than a decade but still do not have a tap water supply. There is no point in paying any tax if we are not getting a basic amenity like drinking water,” resident Mahesh Chidrawar said.




Residents said private tanker operators have already raised rates to Rs 800-Rs 1,000 per trip.




Some protesters threatened to intensify the agitation and block the Beed Bypass Road if the crisis persists.




“We will stage a road blockade on Beed bypass road after a couple of months to protest water woes. The municipal corporation should provide us with a smooth tanker supply at least by charging Rs 2,000 per year, which is the water tariff for other areas,” resident Bhaginath Sable said.




The crisis comes as work on Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar’s Rs 2,740-crore water supply project drags on. The project has already missed its March 2024 deadline. Fewer than half of the proposed 55 elevated storage reservoirs have been completed.




Residents also vented their anger at elected representatives. “The MLAs and MPs come to our doorsteps only to beg for votes once in five years. They should actually bear funding for the supply of water tankers in no-network areas from their own pockets during the drought till the water supply project becomes functional,” resident Vijay Dharashivkar said.




Municipal commissioner Amol Yedge said the civic body was monitoring the no-network areas. “We will ensure official intervention for the benefit of citizens and they will not have to suffer for water during the current crisis,” he said.




Guardian minister Sanjay Shirsat , whose constituency includes Satara-Deolai and other no-network areas, could not be reached for comment.