Jamshedpur, May 12 : The much awaited Rs 237-crore Chhotagovindpur-Bagbera drinking water project is will get ready from August this year while 1.25 lakh Bagbera residents possibly have to wait for another year.
Superintending engineer of drinking water and sanitation department Sadanand Mandal said that the Chhotagovindpur project will take another three months while the Bagbera project will be ready in a year.
He added that work in Bagbera was delayed over a no-objection certificate from the railways to lay the pipeline under tracks for some part of the 12km stretch from Subernarekha along Sapra in Gamharia up to Bagbera.
The Rs238 crore water project sanctioned by the drinking Water and Sanitation Department of the State Government would benefit a populace of over 3 lakhs residing in 113 villages in 21 panchayats of Bagbera, Harharguttu, Ghaghidih, Kitadih and Parsudih. It envisages construction of a water treatment plant near Ghaghidih central jail and three water tanks.
The impact of summer has hit early this year. The ground water level at various places has gone down considerably due to the mushrooming high-rises. Moreover due to the rising temperature the water level of two important rivers Swarnarekha and Kharkai has decreased substantially.
Social activist SubodhJha said that the residents of the area have been suffering from diarrhoea and other water borne diseases after drinking water from tube wells due to absence of piped drinking water.
According to the information, the water problem is more severe in the areas located at the tail-end of water supply system and on the city outskirts.
�It is really difficult times for us. The scorching heat along with decreasing water level has made life difficult for us. Long queues of women standing for waters at hand pumps are regular feature,� said Y P Sharma, a resident of Baghbera.
Now, as the water crisis is looming large since the city received scanty rain last year, the supply of water through tankers would be increased by around 30 lakh litres.
According to the district administration, water tanker trips daily will ensure the supply of water in the slum areas of the city, where the water crisis is looming large because the tube wells and hand pumps have dried up.
