Residents of 100 villages go without water in Tarn Taran
Wednesday, 30/01/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130130/punjab.htm#1
Tarn Taran : Residents of over 100 villages in the district have been facing acute drinking water crisis for the last 10 days after power supply to the pumps installed in their areas was snapped due to non-payment of dues.
An amount of Rs 3.45 crore is due as bill. It has to be paid by the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department to the Power Corporation.
The residents of these villages are up in arms for the last several days and have been holding protests almost on a daily basis. But so far, their voices have fallen on deaf ears.
Several social organisations, including Kisan Sangharsh Committee, Zamhoori Kisan Sabha and Shaheed Bhagat Singh Naujawan Sabha, have come out in support of the affected villagers.
Though the residents of a few villages have themselves restored power supply to the water pumps, the rest have to purchase water from nearby towns.
A resident of Patti, Major Singh, said they had no option but to buy water as the groundwater in their village was unfit for consumption.
Initially, 200 villagers were affected but water supply to almost half of them was restored after the IPH Department made partial payment of the pending dues.
Power Corporation Deputy Chief Engineer Jagjit Singh Suchu said Rs 4.3 crore was outstanding with different government departments. Of this amount, Rs 3.45 crore was pending with the Public Health Department in the district, he said. He said the IPH Department had deposited Rs 50 lakh as partial payment recently and the supply of more than 100 water pumps had been restored.
