Tribal families forced to fetch drinking water on horseback in AP’s agency area

Visakhapatnam: Residents of Pasuvulabandha, a remote hilltop tribal village in V Madugula mandal, continue to struggle for basic drinking water. With no local source of potable water, villagers ride horses for nearly two kilometres each morning to a natural spring in Jeelugulova village to collect water for daily use.

Although funds were reportedly sanctioned for the construction of a water tank in Pasuvulabandha, the project has not yet begun, leaving residents dependent on the distant spring for their drinking water needs.

Villagers say the water they bring often causes health problems. In the absence of road connectivity, those who fall ill have to be carried on makeshift cloth stretchers (dolis) for treatment.

The villagers had submitted a complaint about drinking water problem on the public grievance platform in April 2025. Following this, Rs 4 lakh was sanctioned from the Zilla Parishad general fund for constructing a drinking water tank and pipeline. An assistant engineer also inspected the village. Construction materials such as sand and gravel were transported to the hilltop hamlet using horses. However, even after six months, the work has not begun.

With summer approaching, villagers continue their daily trips to fetch water on horseback. They said officials had assured them that household tap connections would be provided, but months have passed without progress. "We have informed officials several times and they keep saying works will be completed soon. But since construction has not started, we are still forced to travel two kilometres to Jilugulova to fetch water daily," they said.

CPM district executive member K Govinda Rao criticised the delay. "Although funds were sanctioned nearly a year ago for the hilltop village, authorities have failed to act. If the issue is not resolved soon, we will stage a protest with empty water pots during the upcoming zilla parishad governing body meeting," he warned.