Adilabad: Rural communities in the erstwhile Adilabad district continue to rely on borewell water for drinking purposes, citing safety and purity, even as the government promotes Mission Bhagiratha for potable water supply. Many villagers remain reluctant to switch, pointing to the bad taste, rustic smell, and occasional muddy quality of Mission Bhagiratha water. The problem is exacerbated in hilly areas where damaged or absent pipelines disrupt regular supply, forcing people to depend on traditional sources.
In many villages, Mission Bhagiratha water is used for washing clothes, watering plants, and providing drinking water for cattle, rather than for human consumption. Meanwhile, people in towns often turn to private RO plants and water purifiers for their needs. For instance, Vidyanagar colony in Adilabad town has three RO plants catering to families unwilling to consume Mission Bhagiratha water due to contamination risks from pipeline leakages.
Adivasi communities in remote areas continue to depend on streams, rivulets, borewells, and wells for their drinking water. On special occasions such as weddings and social gatherings, they purchase purified water cans to avoid health risks associated with water contamination. In some cases, communities like Koyalpandri have raised funds to dig borewells and establish pipelines to neighbouring villages with better groundwater availability.
A survey conducted in June 2024 revealed that many villagers prefer borewell water over Mission Bhagiratha’s supply, using the latter mainly for non-drinking purposes. To address quality and supply issues, Mission Bhagiratha officials organised a training programme in October 2024 for village assistants, teaching them water quality testing, basic pipeline repairs, and maintenance.
Infrastructure challenges persist, particularly in areas like Jainoor, Utnoor, Indravelli, Sirikonda, Narnoor, and Gadiguda mandals, where inconsistent supply hampers the scheme's effectiveness. Officials have proposed setting up a new water purification plant at the Dhanora intake well in Kerameri mandal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district, to improve water availability.
Despite these efforts, many rural residents remain skeptical about Mission Bhagiratha water. Officials urge people to adopt the purified supply for health reasons, highlighting the risks of consuming untreated water. However, until the issues of quality, supply, and infrastructure are resolved, communities are likely to continue relying on borewells and alternative sources for their drinking water needs.
