Supply hit, more than 20k Bagbera residents go without water for 12 days

JAMSHEDPUR: Over 20,000 people living in Bagbera, on the outskirts of Jamshedpur, have been experiencing water crisis for the 12th consecutive day on Tuesday.
Sources said that the water crisis is triggered by a glitch in a motor and starter of the pump house. "For the last 12 days, it has become a war like situation for us to arrange water daily by running after tankers with jars and buckets or source it from other places," rued Prabha Hansda, a resident of Haribagan, Bagbera.
Social activist and local resident Ishwar Tudu said, "Locals are procuring portable water jars from commercial suppliers as tankers supplying water to the area is insufficient given the large population," Tudu said.
Bagbera Panchayat Peyjal Swachhta Samiti (BPPSS), which is empowered to regulate matters related to water supply in the area, has kept a blind eye to the issue for several days. The samiti is also accused of not taking immediate steps to repair the damage and restore water supply.
"Each of the household having a legal tap water connection pay Rs 100 every month to the panchayat in lieu of the service," said Subodh Jha of Bagbera Vikas Samiti.
A functionary of the samiti said initially the motor was burnt out and it was repaired but then the starter of the pump house was damaged after which the water supply was hampered. "Hopefully, the supply will be restored shortly as repairing work has commenced," said a BPPSS member on anonymity.
The head of BPPSS, Bahamani Hembram, who is a local mukhiya, did not respond to repeated calls from the newspaper.
The locals have said that apart from 1,140 legally obtained connections, several households have obtained connections illegally as a result the count of the people dependent on the tap water connection is 20,000 plus.
Dhalbhum SDO Sandeep Meena has directed the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (DWSD) to cordinate with the local mukhiya and ensure supply is restored at the earliest.
Many also complained of unclear water being supplied to households. "Even after the pump house equipment are repaired, the quality of water is not going to improve," said Vinod Singh, a local resident.
DWSD official Abhay Topo said that it is the local Peyjal Swachhta Samiti that has to arrange technicians to repair and restore the service. DWSD sources said that a junior engineer, who has been deputed to coordinate with the mukhiya for repairing and restoration work, has taken up the job.