The Times of India News Service

RAJKOT: With water being in short supply in the region, water-related violence has increased in Saurashtra.

On Tuesday, people of Lakhapar village in Rajkot district resorted to a chakka jam on the Rajkot-Tramba highway, disrupting movement of vehicles. Villagers demanded adequate water. They claimed they were not being supplied water through tankers even though they had apprised the district collector of their needs.

In another incident at Wankaner, a mob ransacked the nagarpalika office while a Gondal bandh call has been given for Wednesday. Former president of the nagarpalika Govindbhai Desai and three other ex-civic chiefs have joined hands here to fight against insufficient water supply. A 18-member pagla samiti has also been formed. Desai said crisis in Gondal was man-made. He flayed the state government for not completing a single water supply scheme.

Upleta residents have threatened to gherao the nagarpalika office on March 15 if water supply is not streamlined. They demanded that work on laying a pipeline from the Venu-2 water supply project be completed. The project was taken up at the cost of Rs 4.50 crore.

Krishnakant Chottai, organiser of the rally told TOINS that there was no planning to lay internal pipelines. Twenty thousand people would have got water at homes, but for lack of planning by civic authorities.

People of Visipara and Ginpara marched to the nagarpalika office demanding adequate water.

While the state government is unable to meet the demands, people are taking law into their own hands, as womenfolk have to trek 10 to 15 km in search of water.