by Jai Sinha
Nawadih, Bokaro: Residents in the constituency of State Women and Child Development Minister Baby Devi are grappling with a severe drinking water crisis due to departmental mismanagement.
In the Nawadih block, out of 899 water pipes, 409 are damaged, severely impacting the water supply in Chirudih, Nawadih, Shahria, Bhendra-Baradih, Surhi, and other panchayats.
A departmental survey revealed that 409 out of 899 handpumps across 24 panchayats are non-functional. Additionally, most water tankers acquired under the 13th Finance from Mukhiya and Pansas funds are broken. With extreme heat exacerbating the situation, both humans and animals are suffering as ponds and water bodies dry up.
Naresh Kumar Vishwakarma, head of Bhendra Panchayat, highlighted the drying up of the Jamunia River, which has prevented water from reaching the intake well for the drinking water supply, leading to a complete halt. He noted that the department has yet to hand over the four lakh rupees collected from consumers. These funds could be used to construct a check dam near the intake well in the Jamunia River, potentially resolving the villagers’ drinking water issues.
Block Development Officer Prashant Kumar Hembram assured that guidelines have been issued to the officials of the Drinking Water Sanitation Department, promising a resolution soon.
The drinking water crisis in the assembly constituency of Minister Baby Devi underscores the dire situation in remote villages across the state. Despite the minister’s accessibility to the public, residents continue to struggle for drinking water, raising concerns about the administration’s effectiveness.
