Jharkhand: Irked by water crisis, Giridih locals tie PHED contractor to pole in hot sun

BOKARO: As temperatures soar to 42° Celsius and heatwave conditions persist, situations in Giridih reached a boiling point on Thursday when irate residents, who were angry over the irregular water supply, tied a contractor of the public health engineering department (PHED) to a pole for over an hour in the hot sun.

The contractor was released after executive engineer Mukesh Kumar Mandal of the department intervened and assured the residents of Chunjka, under the Mufassil police station, to resolve their issue.

Notably, amid the declining groundwater levels, the hand pumps are not functioning even as dams are going dry and the water supply to the households has become highly irregular over the past three months in Giridih, prompting the residents to take out to the streets in protest.

The villagers have been complaining about the non-functional water towers constructed under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Surendra Das, a Giridih resident, said, "Despite the construction of structures and the installation of tanks and pipes, no water has been supplied. The people here are so frustrated with the poor response from the authorities over the issue."

The situation in Bokaro is also quite similar.

In the district, several members of the chamber of commerce of the district staged a protest at Jainamoad over the ongoing water crisis on Friday.

Residents allege large-scale graft
They criticised irregular water supply to 10 panchayats, attributing the problem to large-scale corruption and poor-quality materials used in constructing the water tank.

Bokaro Chamber of Commerce president Sanjay Singh, said: "We will launch an agitation against drinking water and sanitation department, public representatives and contractors. Soon, their effigies would be burned and, the department's office will be gheroed if the issues persist."

Congress' Sweta Singh criticised Bokaro BJP MLA Biranchi Narayan for his lack of interest in govt water projects, which has exacerbated the crisis in Chas Municipal Corporation and surrounding rural areas. Singh and her upporters launched a campaign to meet residents over the issue. The district authorities said they are taking immediate action to address the crisis.