Negligent contractor, officials responsible for Mango water crisis: Saryu Roy

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur, Oct 19: Residents of Mango faced severe disruption in drinking water supply on Sunday morning, dampening Diwali celebrations and triggering widespread public outrage. Upon receiving information about the crisis, Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy immediately visited the intake well of the Mango Drinking Water Project to assess the situation. He also inspected the Prithvi Park water tank and dispatched his team to the water treatment plant, which supplied water to multiple tanks across the region.

Following his inspection, Roy squarely blamed the officials of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department and the project contractor for the disruption. He alleged gross negligence and mismanagement, asserting that both parties had failed to maintain essential infrastructure. Roy announced that after the Diwali and Chhath holidays, he would submit a charge sheet against the Executive Engineer of the department for dereliction of duty. He also stated his intention to recommend that the contractor be blacklisted for repeated lapses.

Roy revealed that the intake well was choked with sand deposited by floodwaters and had not been cleaned for a long time. He immediately directed the Deputy Municipal Commissioner of Mango Municipal Corporation to start the cleaning process. Once the sand was removed, water flow returned to normal levels.

During his visit to the Prithvi Park water tank, Roy learned from the on-site staff that the contractor supplied water only two to three days a week, resulting in irregular and insufficient distribution. The employees further alleged negligence on the part of department officials.

Upon examining the water treatment plant, Roy found evidence of favoritism and partial distribution by the contractor’s employees. Certain localities were receiving excess water supply, while several others were being deprived especially during festivals when demand was high. When confronted, the contractor claimed that the practice was followed as per instructions from “higher authorities” and could not be altered. However, when Roy questioned the Executive Engineer, he denied issuing any such order.

Calling the situation “deeply concerning,” Saryu Roy emphasized that the persistent water shortage in Mango was the result of collusion between the contractor and officials of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department. He said that this nexus had repeatedly caused suffering to residents during major festivals. Roy directed the Deputy Municipal Commissioner to conduct a thorough investigation and take strict action against those found guilty, ensuring such negligence did not recur in future. (w/gsd)