Water shortage hits early to trouble Jamshedpur and other fringe areas

Jamshedpur, March 13: Amidst rising mercury, residents of several areas of Jamshedpur are facing an acute water shortage.

The water problem is more severe in the areas located at the tail-end of the water supply system and on the city outskirts. Mango is the worst hit area.

The Mango Municipal Corporation, (MMC) which acts as a municipal body to oversee the day-to-day municipal requirements of about 1.80 lakh population is concerned over the plight of its residents but says it is helpless.

“We do understand the fact that this summer is going to be very bothersome for us but the drinking water and sanitation department will take care of this matter,” said an officer.

Although, the drinking water department has got the nod from the government for setting deep borewells in the Mango area but the department apprehends the entire exercise would take weeks to get through.

The population of Mango is about two lakh and people depend on groundwater and tube wells. But the process of urbanisation decreased recharge and increased withdrawal of groundwater. Moreover, a huge amount of groundwater is pumped out for residential, industrial and commercial use. Similar is the situation at Jugsalai, Pursidih, Karandih and Kitadih.

Local residents said that supply of extra water is necessary in Mango and other areas owing to the increasing demand and although the construction of a water pipe line has begun-it.

“Last year we bought 300 liters of water for Rs 100 imagine, what the situation would be like this year if there is no water in our taps,” said a resident. 

The scarcity of water was there even in the last year but this year the situation has gone further grim and we were left with no option but to ferry the water from the nearest possible source we could,” said the official.

This is the first time that the railway station is also facing an unprecedented water crisis. The rain-fed Kharkai River, the main source of water supply to the station and the railway colony, has dried, causing water level at Baghbera pump house linked to the river to hit.

Meanwhile, water level at the Sitarampur dam along Kharkai river has gone down considerably posing threat of acute water crisis in Adityapur and the adjoining areas.

With the fringe area of the sprawling water-body has gone dry and the water level at the middle of the dam has touched to 10 feet, posing a situation under which the water supply to the Sitarampur-based water filtration plant to go for just another two weeks.

The normal water level of the dam, spread over an area of 125 acres is 22 feet and the existing water at the reservoir can not be increased due to paucity of water in the Kharkai. As a result of the situation, drinking water supply is certain to hit the densely-populated Adityapur and Gamharia township and also to the sprawling Adityapur industrial area this summer.

An official of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitataion (DDW&S), Seraikela, confirmed about the imminent drinking water crisis in Adityapur, Gamharia and in the Adityapur industrial estate due to the dwindling water level at the Sitarampur dam.

“Water level at the Sitarampur dam has gone down considerably and lack of the natural flow of water in the Kharkai has also posed a situation in which water level at the Sitarampur dam cannot be increased.  Concerned over the situation, the district administration of Seraikela-Kharsawan has convened a meeting tomorrow so as to find a way out,” he said .