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Uttar Pradesh is currently in the grip of scorching heat and deadly heatwave. Amidst the fire raining from the sky, scary pictures of severe water crisis are emerging from many parts of the state. One such painful case has come to light from Shankargarh block of Prayagraj district, where people are yearning for every drop of water. The surprising thing is that this area is located just 150 kilometers away from Banda, the hottest city of the country. The situation here has become so bad that the villagers have to walk about 10 kilometers every day in the scorching heat to collect clean drinking water. The mercury continuously remaining above 40 degree Celsius has made the life of the local people hell.
‘There is no water, no electricity…forced to live a hellish life for years’
The pain of the local villagers of Shankargarh block is now echoing from social media to administrative corridors. A resident of the village tearfully narrated his ordeal, “There is a huge problem of water here. We neither have any water facility nor electricity supply. We have to wander miles every day to quench our thirst. We somehow manage to get water by going at least 10 kilometers away. This problem is not of today, but the situation has been like this for years, but there is no one to take care of us. There are about 150 people in the village. Live and every person is struggling with this terrible crisis.
Hand pumps dry up, innocent children leave with utensils in the morning.
According to the villagers, as the heat is increasing in the month of May, the traditional water sources and government hand pumps of the area have completely failed. Due to falling groundwater level, water has stopped coming from the taps. The situation is such that with the first rays of the morning, women and small innocent children of the house go miles away in search of water with buckets, cans and utensils in their hands. Many times, even after waiting for hours in the scorching heat, they are unable to get a pitcher of water.
Administrative staff came into action, ADM Vineeta Singh gave assurance
When the echo of water crisis in Shankargarh reached Prayagraj district administration, the officials came into action. Regarding the matter, Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Prayagraj Vineeta Singh said that the administration has taken the water crisis of Shankargarh area very seriously. With immediate effect, he has given strict instructions to the concerned officials to visit the affected areas, review the arrangements and repair the damaged water structures (hand pumps and tube wells) of the area on a war footing. Along with this, he has assured that water tankers will be sent immediately to the villages where there is severe water crisis.
Heatwave alert continues for last 23 days
ADM Vineeta Singh said that in view of the record breaking heat and heatwave in Uttar Pradesh, the administration is on continuous alert mode for the last 23 days. Through different media mediums and loudspeakers at the local level, advisories are being issued to people not to come out of their homes in the afternoon. To provide relief to the general public, the administration has also started cooling centers (cool rooms) and emergency drinking water arrangements at major public places.
Neighboring Banda became the hottest district of the country, roads became deserted
Banda district, located in the neighborhood of Prayagraj, is currently burning like a tandoor in the entire country. According to Meteorological Department data, the mercury in Banda had reached 47.6 degrees Celsius on April 27, which was the highest in the country that day. Even after this, there was no relief and recently the temperature recorded here was 48.2 degrees Celsius on Tuesday and 48 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The fear of this scorching heat is such that in Banda and its surrounding areas, at 10 o’clock in the morning, an undeclared curfew-like scene occurs and the roads become completely deserted. In such a situation, the shortage of water and electricity in rural areas like Shankargarh has further increased the ordeal of the people.
