In addition to water woes, Dalits at Kadoli village, 9km from Belagavi city, face ill treatment at the hands of the upper caste community.
As borewells in the Dalit colony have dried up and tap water for 2 hours supplied by the gram panchayat has failed to suffice, over 70 Dalit families on Ambedkar lane are forced to get water from public taps, reported The Times of India.
However, as the public taps are fitted in areas where upper castes reside, the Dalits who come to fetch water are allegedly made to wait for hours until others fill their pots. They are also humiliated and sometimes their pots are thrown out.
It all began after the two borewells in their colony dried up and tap water supplied by the local gram panchayat for two hours failed to meet their basic requirements.
Borewells in agricultural farms belonging to upper caste people have enough water, but they refuse to give water to Dalits.
According to Nanda Chandrakant Kamble, a resident of Ambedkar Galli, about 70 Dalit families depend on a single tap.
Demanna Kallappa Metri, a Dalit, said: “Borewells in the colony have dried up and water flow to public taps has become less after a diversion valve was fixed. It's common that upper class people deny water because our leaders are not raising their voice against the practice.”
According to local panchayat development officer Ashwini Kundal, there has been no such discrimination that has come to her notice.
“Had the community complained to the gram panchayat or the ward member, the problem would have been solved,” she said.
Gram panchayat president Raju Mayanna attributed the issue to severe water shortage but they are ready to provide tanker water to the Dalit colony in addition to two hours of tap water.