No Water, No Vote In Pune: Water Crisis Worsens in Khairewadi, Residents Threaten Lok Sabha Election Boycott
Varad Bhatkhande
Shivajinagar, 6th April 2024: Amidst mounting frustration, residents of Khairewadi in Pune’s Shivajinagar are confronting a dire water crisis. Despite persistent pleas to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) for resolution, approximately 10,000 residents endure the relentless challenge of erratic, insufficient, and low-pressure water supply within their community. Their plight has reached a boiling point as they contend with daily hardships exacerbated by the impending summer season.
Driven to desperation by months of unmet promises and enduring hardship, the villagers have taken a drastic stance. In a bold display of collective discontent, they unfurled a prominent banner along the main thoroughfare bearing a stark ultimatum: “No Water, No Vote. Resolve our water woes, or face our electoral boycott.” This resolute gesture has resonated deeply, sending ripples of concern among politicians vying for support ahead of the looming Lok Sabha elections on May 13.
Voicing their grievances, a resident lamented the protracted battle for basic access to water, citing persistent shortages, feeble pressure, and sporadic outages as the bane of their existence. With the impending summer exacerbating their predicament, the reliance on water tankers for survival has become an arduous daily ritual, consuming precious time and resources. Compounding their distress, the ongoing Pune Metro construction and associated development projects encroach upon their already strained water resources, compounding their plight.
As the spectre of an electoral boycott looms large, the villagers implore authorities to prioritize their fundamental right to adequate water supply, underscoring the imperative of swift action to avert further escalation of their plight.
