All wells run bone-dry in Thane's Shahapur taluka
While the heatwaves led to a death in a village in Shahapur last week, its wells are either dry already or are depleted.
Thane: As heatwaves continue to scorch Maharashtra, making the temperature soar up to 42 degrees Celsius, the residents of villages Chintamanwadi and Daand in Thane’s Shahapur taluka are facing trouble on two fronts.
While the heatwaves led to a death in a village in Shahapur last week, its wells are either dry already or are depleted. Four wells in the Chintamanwadi and Daand villages, which were the sole source of drinking water and water for other mundane chores for the residents, lie bone dry.
Tukaram Thama Agivale, a 35-year-old resident of Daand, died due to a heatstroke last Friday. Agivale had ventured out 10 km from his home to fetch water for his family as the wells had dried up. After Agivale’s death, water tankers began arriving at Daand, which is 45 km from Shahapur taluka.
According to Prakash Khodka, a functionary of non-governmental organisation Shram-jeevi Sanghathana, which works for the labour class, water shortage has also led to the death of 15 to 20 animals in the villages Vashala and Sakhargaon, also located in Shahapur. The Shramjeevi Sanghathana is headquartered in Vasai and has offices in Shahapur.
In Chintamanwadi village, there are only two water wells but both have dried up. The water tanker comes once in two days and fills the wells as people literally fight with each other to collect water that is filthy but people drink it anyway. They do not stop to worry about the effect it might have on their health. They have no other choice.
A well constructed for all castes and religions in 1940 by the then British Government in the village of Ubrabone is still operational, but dry. People from Ubrabone follow a set rule when the water tanker arrives in the afternoon to fill the well — they patiently form a queue in the evening and take turns to get water.