Looks like the State Government needs High Court to remind it that one of its duties is to ensure that the people in Goa get adequate unpolluted drinking water. And, the right to get unpolluted drinking water falls within the ambit of right to life.

The Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) ground at Agonda is turning out to be a

JOYNAGAR (South 24-Parganas): Drinking water scarcity is still a major problem for the residents of 100-year-old Joynagar Mazilpur Municipality. Two reservoirs had been inaugurated in the municipality (consisting of 14 wards) from 1978-1980 but 10 years later, drinking water scarcity became an issue again. The lack of maintenance rendered the two reservoirs decrepit resulting in the disruption of water supply.

As many as two lakh people of the town are severely hit with the scarcity of drinking water in the scorching summer. The two summer storage tanks of the town have failed to meet the demand for drinking water though officials state that they will resolve the issue soon.

With the growing threat of water scarcity in the state capital and suburbs, the Tripura Government has sent a proposal of Rs 665 crore for a project to transport water from the Gumati river, about 70 km away, through pipelines to ensure water supply to an additional 1.5 lakh families in the city. Official sources said here today that a high level committee, headed by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, approved the project earlier this week and sent it to the Union Urban Development Ministry for funding under the Jawaharlal Neheru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has criticised the Meghalaya government for its failure to provide safe drinking water to the people under various schemes. "The objectives of the schemes remained largely unachieved because of significant shortfall (53 and 45 per cent) in providing safe drinking water to the identified habitations during 2002-2007,' the CAG report stated.

The East Godavari district planning committee meet, conducted for the second time, witnessed heated arguments between minister Gollapalli Surya Rao and East Godavari Telugu Desam president and local bodies MLC Nimmakayala Chinarajappa on Sunday. The trouble started when the issue of supply of protected water in rural areas was being discussed at the East Godavari zilla parishad meeting hall.

Residents of Bantlapalli in Atmakur mandal of Nellore district have been facing severe drinking water problem for the last few years. The village has 500 people and residents suffer from kidney and skin diseases, many becoming disabled as the water available in the village has high quantity of fluoride content. People who are in their 40s have aged and doctors have been advising them to leave the village instead of going for treatment. People have to walk nearly 1.5 kms to the adjacent Khansahebpet village of Marripadu mandal to fetch drinking water.

For those who get running water at the turn of a knob in their houses, this may sound somewhat outlandish, even bizarre. Hundreds of young men are being forced to lead a bachelor's life and hundreds of young girls prefer being "sold" outside the state rather than marry in their own state and the villain in this situation is water. Marriages are being cancelled, postponed and called-off at the last minute in the Bundelkhand region due to paucity of water.

Residents of Palaskata, Makdem, Kajumal, Nandran, Kasavalim, Satpal and Gawaliwada have complained of acute water shortage since March, after the Water Supply department disconnected public taps in many parts of Mollem. "At present, there is about 10 to 12 thousand litres of water shortage per day in the area,' Mollem panch Mr Shahu told Herald. Most of the residents are without water connections and are dependent on public taps. The water supply department has arranged to supply water through tankers, said sources.