Residents protest at AMC office over water crisis in Sarkhej

Scores of residents from Tawakkal Society in Sarkhej on Wednesday staged a vociferous protest outside the Amdavad Municipal Corporation’s (AMC) South West Zone office in Prahladnagar, demanding urgent redressal of the persistent drinking water crisis and waterlogging in their area.

Led by local women and joined by members of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) city unit, the residents staged a sit-in outside the zone office, alleging that despite repeated complaints, the civic body had failed to provide clean and adequate drinking water and the issue of waterlogging was also persistent. Many claimed they had been forced to rely on costly mineral water, while civic officials continued to enjoy such facilities at public expense.

“This is not just about water. The area has been plagued by basic civic issues that remain unresolved. We are merely demanding our fundamental rights,” said Shubham Thakar, a local social worker.

Speaking on the matter, South West Zone Deputy Municipal Commissioner (DyMC) Mirant Parikh said the AMC was aware of the grievances. “The area in question falls under a draft town planning (TP) scheme, which complicates infrastructure development, including roads. However, we will ensure that roads are made motorable regardless of the TP status,” Parikh said.

He also acknowledged the water crisis and pointed to uneven distribution caused by unauthorised connections. “We will soon carry out a comprehensive drive to regularise water connections and ensure equitable supply,” he added.

Regarding drainage, Parikh stated that while the drainage lines extend only to the outer roads of Tawakkal Society, the AMC would undertake desilting work and deploy super-sucker machines to address drainage-related issues.

However, the civic body came under further scrutiny when reporters covering the protest were allegedly mishandled by security personnel. Eyewitnesses said bouncers deployed at the zonal office pushed journalists away from Parikh and allegedly manhandled a female reporter seeking his comment. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from the journalist community and sparked calls for an apology from AMC officials.

As protests continue to intensify, residents have warned that they will escalate their agitation if their demands are not addressed promptly.