Contrary to its name this Adivasi pada waited a decade for drinking water!

Its 100 odd families are still deprived of basic necessities like toilet, water and health care facilities

@the_news_21

Mumbai: Contrary to its name ‘Patacha Pani’ (canal water), for nearly 75 years after Independence, this Adivasi pada now finally has access to basic human necessity of drinking water. This area has almost been forgotten by the government for ages now, the 100-odd families of this pada, located just a stone’s throw away from the Thakur Village, (Kandivali East) are still deprived of some of the basic necessities like toilet, water and health care facilities.

It was due to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State Election Management Committee member Devang Dave and his colleagues who did a commendable job of providing relief to the citizens by reopening a closed and defunct borewell and situating solar powered borewell pump in the pada. Due to the praiseworthy efforts by the public participation group, citizens’ struggle for water has come to an end forever.

On the occasion of International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People (Adivasi’s) on August 9, Mumbai North Lok Sabha MP Gopal Shetty on Monday inaugurated the solar powered borewell pump at ‘Patacha Pani’ pada. The event brought smiles and satisfaction on the faces of the Adivasis here.

“Patacha Pani” tribal pada is very close to the upmarket locality of Kandivali’s Thakur Village. Along with connecting unauthorized taps for water, the tribals in the district had to bear the financial pressure of the water mafias. Faced with the threat of municipal water cut, these tribals also had to leave their daily jobs and go far in search of drinking water.

Despite being a part of a highly developed and rich municipal corporation like Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), the residents of the ‘Patacha Pani’ tribal pada were struggling for drinking water for many years. Around 10 years back, the Adivasi pada did get some water facilities, but that broke down and ever since no one has turned up to repair them, the villagers alleged. 

A scenic ‘Patacha Pani’ pada, a stone’s throw away from Thakur Village, is rarely visited by city dwellers. Project of solar powered borewell pump was very important for the tribal residents living in this area. “Because of severe water shortage for the past many years, they had to struggle a lot. Local people in the area were looking for different options, I am very happy that we were able to solve their problem”, said Devang Dave.