Asarwa Residents Wash Hands at Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation office in Unique Protest 

Ahmedabad : Over 50,000 residents of Kubernagar in Ahmedabad city have been facing severe drinking water shortages for months. In a unique protest on Monday, residents from the neighboring Asarwa area marched into the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) office, carrying earthen pots, and washed their hands and feet to highlight the unresolved water crisis.

The protest stems from a seemingly simple solution gone awry. A new water tank was constructed in Asarwa to provide drinking water to both Asarwa and Kubernagar wards. To facilitate this, the AMC laid a dedicated pipeline at a cost exceeding Rs. 1 crore. However, for reasons unknown, the pipeline remains unconnected to the water tank, leaving Kubernagar residents high and dry.

Leading the protest, NCP corporator Nikulsinh Tomar blamed the civic body’s inaction for the ongoing water woes. “There has been a critical drinking water shortage in Kubernagar for the past six months,” Tomar stated. “Despite repeated requests and reports, the Municipal Corporation has failed to connect the pipeline, leaving us with no choice but to protest.”

Tomar further announced that the residents of Kubernagar will hold daily demonstrations at the AMC’s north zone office.  “From now on, local residents will come to the office every morning at 11 AM and wash their hands and feet to symbolize the lack of water,” he declared. “We will also stage a protest here at 4 PM every evening before returning home.”

The residents’ frustration is understandable. A dedicated water tank and pipeline exist, yet they remain deprived of a basic necessity due to what appears to be administrative inefficiency. The washing of hands and feet serves as a powerful image, highlighting the daily struggles faced by residents in securing drinking water.