Jamshedpur: Even before the peak of summer, a severe water crisis has gripped the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital. On Tuesday, the hospital’s water supply was completely exhausted, forcing the administration to fill storage tanks using private water tankers.
Despite the new MGM hospital building being operational for several months, it has yet to be connected to a dedicated municipal pipeline. Currently, the facility relies entirely on groundwater via borewells—a situation experts had previously warned could become critical if the water table dropped.
Impact on Medical Services
On Tuesday afternoon, staff across various departments reported the shortage to the Principal. A female doctor from the Gynecology Department warned that essential services, including surgeries and deliveries, could be severely disrupted without immediate water availability.
In response, Principal Dr. Sanjay Kumar held urgent talks with officials from the Mango Municipal Corporation (MMC), demanding the immediate completion of the pipeline project. He emphasized that the hospital’s operations could come to a complete standstill without water. As a temporary measure, the hospital has requested 10 tankers daily (five in the morning and five in the evening).
Technical Failure and Slow Project Progress
When questioned, pump operators noted that while the pumps are running, the overhead tanks are failing to fill. Sources suggest the existing borewells are failing, hinting that the crisis could become a daily occurrence. Officials from L&T and other related departments have been summoned to address the technical faults.
Meanwhile, the long-term solution—a pipeline from the Subarnarekha River—is progressing at a sluggish pace. Originally scheduled for completion by December, the project remains unfinished. The required Water Treatment Plant (WTP) is also under construction and is estimated to take at least another two months to become operational.
