Adivasi residents of Ooty complain of protests from surrounding villages against construction of well for drinking water

March 20, 2024 07:19 pm | Updated 07:19 pm IST - UDHAGAMANDALAM

Residents of Adivasi village of Banagudi, Jackanarai, near Kotagiri, have voiced their concerns about people of a nearby village, who prevented them from constructing a well to supply drinking water during the dry summer period.

The 47 families, belonging to the Kurumba tribe, had been demanding that a well be constructed near their village since 2013, said K. Babu, headman of Banagudi village.

Mr. Babu said that the non-tribal residents of Kesalada, who had a feud over other development projects being implemented in the village, had stopped the construction of a well in Banagudi. “Though their village has two wells which supply water, they intervened and stopped the construction of the well here,” said Mr. Babu.

Another resident, Sarasu, said that none of the residents of Banagudi have piped water supply to their homes. “Even the toilets the government built for us don’t have running water,” she said, stating that women suffer the most due to a lack of water to the village.

“During times when there is no water, women have to venture into the forest to defecate, putting themselves at risk from having negative interactions with wild animals,” she said.

Residents, including Bheeman, said that residents of Banagudi struggle due to lack of water every summer. “We have to draw water from a stream that runs through the village, which tends to run dry during the summer months. The construction of a well will ensure that there is at least drinking water being supplied to the village,” he said.

Residents of Kesalada claim that their opposition to the well stems from their concerns that the new well could lead to water shortage at their village, which is further downstream. “We have no personal vendetta against the residents of Banagudi,” they state.

The Kurumbas believe that the resentment of the villagers of Kesalada is due to claims over sacred sites by both the Kurumbas as well as those of the nearby villages. “The Kurumbas have generational ties to the hero stone sites near Banagudi, with the temple priests being from the Adivasi community. As there has been a sudden effort to claim the site from other communities, it has led to resentment between the villages,” said Mr. Babu, the Banagudi headman.

When contacted, E. Ramkumar, Kotagiri Panchayat Union chairman, said that the well was being constructed at a cost of ₹10 lakh to ensure that the Adivasi residents of Banagudi have a year-round source of water. “This project was undertaken to raise the living standards of the community,” he added.

Mr. Ramkumar also stated that following the dispute talks were held with the residents of Kesalada. “They were told that the new well in Banagudi would have no impact on the water security of their village, and were told to not hold up the work,” said Mr. Ramkumar, stating that construction of the well resumed since Tuesday.