Khunti, 28 April (Hindustan Times). Due to the negligence of the officials of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, the most ambitious scheme of the Central Government, Har Ghar Nal Se Jal Yojana, seems to be dying in the rural areas of Khunti. For the supply of solar water, water towers have been made in every village, but for the villagers, they have become mere objects of beauty. There are many such villages, where people still fight for the contaminated water of the well.
Pidihatu village of Landup panchayat, about 20 km away from Khunti district headquarters, is an example of this. Two Janminars have been built in the village three years back. Taps have also been installed in most of the houses in the village, but water never came in the tap. From three o’clock in the morning men and women of the village compete to get water from the only well in the village. Everyone is afraid that the water of the well may run out.
The villagers tell that the water of the well is also very polluted. People drink and cook food by filtering or heating water. To wash clothes and take a bath, the people of the village have to go a kilometer away to the river. The river also dries up during summer. It can be easily guessed that the serious water crisis the villagers are facing. Etwari Munda, a 75-year-old woman from Pidihatu village who has come to the same well to collect water, says that along with the man, the cattle are also facing water crisis. They have to go to the river to wash clothes and utensils and take a bath, but even the river has dried up during the summer. Nauri Samad, a woman who came to fetch water with two big cans with the help of bamboo poles on her shoulders even in a sick condition, says that the well has also not been cleaned for many years. People carry water after filtering it through cloth, so that insects and dirt can be avoided. Village head Kande Pahan says that from the head to the district and block officials have also been informed about the problem, but there is no one to listen. More or less the situation is the same in dozens of villages including Ghaghra.
Stationary engineer discharges the battery by charging the mobile
When asked about the water crisis prevailing in Pidihatu village, Ram Prasad, Junior Engineer of Drinking Water and Sanitation Division, Khunti, said that he is aware of the problem. He said that it is the responsibility of the villagers to take care of the water supply scheme, but the villagers charge the mobile and discharge the battery. He said that a plan for the village has been prepared and sent to the government. It is expected that the villagers will soon get relief from the water crisis.
