Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, April 18: Thousands of families of Bagbera and adjoining areas continue to reel under acute water scarcity due to the non-completion of the Bagbera Govindpur Greater Water Supply Project.
According to sources, the project was to get completed in the year 2019. But due to various hurdles, the project is unfinished till date. Consequently, the residents of several dozens of localities in Bagbera including Kitadih, Somai Jhopri, Harharguttu and Jagdishpur are suffering in want of adequate drinking water. The scorching summer season has made the situation worse for the people as the underground water table goes down below a depth of 500 to 700 feet, turning most of the handpumps in the area defunct, said Ishwar Dayal, a resident of Harharguttu.
The residents are awaiting completion of the water supply project, but to no avail. The project was to be completed with the help of World Bank at an estimated cost of Rs 235 crore. It would have benefitted the residents of 23 panchayats of Bagbera. Two intake wells were to be built in Moharda of Birsanagar and Domuhani of Sonari. Moharda intake well is supplying water to Govindpur and Parsudih but the Domuhani intake well is not functioning at present. As a result, piped water supply to Bagbera has not started as yet, sources said.
Local residents alleged that local politicians and elected public representatives took no interest in solving their water woes. The politicians only take interest when the elections are round the corner.
Sources claimed that the World Bank and contractors have backed off due to the inordinate delay in the implementation of the project.
