Nashik: Tribal Villages Await Drinking Water Despite Funds

Despite the allocation of a substantial fund of ₹1.66 crore last year under the Jal Jeevan Mission by the central and state governments, residents of 12 tribal villages in Shenwad Budruk, Igatpuri taluka, continue to face acute water scarcity. The delay in providing drinking water directly to their houses through taps has left the tribal communities in this remote area grappling with dire conditions.

The entire village, along with 12 neighbouring hamlets including Shivachiwadi, Khadakwadi, and Lalwadi, falls under the PESA category. There is a significant delay in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in the Gram Panchayat area. Despite the completion of initial construction work a year ago, including the installation of a water tank and pipeline, the vital step of connecting taps to households has not been undertaken. As a result, tribal women in the affected villages are forced to resort to fetching muddy water manually, highlighting the dire situation faced by the community.

Taking a firm stance, villagers have decided to escalate the issue if the completion of the Jal Jeevan Mission projects is further delayed. The villagers said that there is a need for strict action against the contractors failing to fulfil their obligations and demanded immediate steps to provide relief to the tribal population.