Who can guarantee drinking water supply next year ? Is the question being asked by residents

The severe drinking water crisis that gripped Visakhapatnam earlier this year has emerged as a key civic issue in the ongoing local body elections, with residents and corporator candidates identifying regular water supply and long-term solutions to the city’s water problems as major priorities.

For thousands of households, securing drinking water has became an expensive and uncertain exercise until last month (September). Low groundwater levels and reduced reservoir storage amid deficient rainfall forced residents to depend on private water tankers, spending thousands of rupees to meet their daily water needs.

In several localities, municipal water was supplied only once in two or three days, leaving households struggling to manage their routine needs.

With memories of the shortage still fresh, residents are demanding that political parties and candidates move beyond assurances and outline concrete measures to prevent a recurrence next summer.

In several wards, candidates have been making regular drinking water supply a key election promise. For households already coping with rising living costs, purchasing water has added to their recurring financial burden.

“We received water only once in three days and were forced to buy water cans. There was not enough water even for household needs. We are, therefore, asking candidates to make regular water supply a major promise,” said K Praveena, a resident of Chinna Gadili, from Arilova, one of the areas which witnessed severe water crisis.

Residents of urban localities such as Madhurawada and Yendada are also seeking reliable water supply, highlighting the widespread nature of the problem.

What parties say

While the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has criticised the NDA government for allegedly failing to anticipate and adequately address the water shortage, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, during his visit to the city last month, assured residents that measures were being initiated to prevent a recurrence of the crisis. He promised bring the Godavari water to Visakhapatnam through the Polavaram Left Main Canal and strengthen the required infrastructure, with the objective of improving water supplies by early next year.

The challenge to provide water is expected to grow as Visakhapatnam expands and industrial demand for water increases.

Visakhapatnam Apartment Resident Welfare Association (VARWA) general secretary B.B. Ganesh said residents had witnessed an unprecedented water crisis this year and called for expediting the supply of Godavari water to the city.

“People should be given the first priority. The government says it has plans to supply water to data centres and the public, but drinking water for residents must come first,” he said. Though 24x7 water supply had been planned long ago, its implementation remained inadequate, he added.

Mr. Ganesh also stressed the need to ensure municipal bulk water supply before granting permissions for high-rise buildings, cautioning against allowing urban development to outpace essential infrastructure.

K.S.R. Murthy, a member of the AP Federation of Resident Welfare Associations (APFERWA), said the government needed to act swiftly and develop a comprehensive plan to strengthen the city’s water resources. He called on candidates to focus on measures such as rainwater harvesting and other sustainable methods to improve water availability.