Kurnool: A drinking water crisis triggered mounting anger in Panchalingala village, where women from the SC Colony staged a late-night road protest with empty vessels on Sunday.

Protesters alleged that water supply to their locality had been halted for two weeks while other communities continued to receive regular supplies, accusing authorities of gross apathy and caste-based discrimination.

Despite repeated representations, the issue remained unresolved, forcing residents to take to the road. Protesters questioned why a basic civic amenity was being denied when the village lies right on the banks of the Tungabhadra River.

The agitation escalated as women levelled serious allegations against Kurnool MP Bastipati Nagaraju, a native of the village. They claimed he refused to help because they had not supported him politically, linking basic water needs to electoral backing.

Adding to the controversy, protesters pointed out that a fresh-water pipeline passing through the village supplies neighboring Gondiparla and E Thadrapadu round-the-clock. Angered by the disparity, they threatened to demolish the pipeline if their water crisis is not resolved immediately.