In Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district, families from the Prajapati community in the Kakore area have alleged that they are being denied access to drinking water after a public borewell, their only source of clean water, was destroyed with the alleged collusion of local strongmen and officials.
According to locals, the borewell catered to nearly 5,000 residents from poor and backward communities but has now been rendered unusable, forcing families to rely on polluted drains and river water.
Residents further claim that those who protested the destruction were threatened with killing, violence, and police cases.
The community and local activists have accused the administration of discrimination and negligence, saying that even in the government’s so-called “Amrit Kaal,” marginalised groups are being deprived of basic necessities like drinking water.
In one of the videos that surfaced on social media, resident Anshika Prajapati said, “There was a public bore for us to drink water. They (people from the administration) came and destroyed the boring.”
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here.