No water for 15 days, people of six villages stage protest

Our Correspondent

Garhshankar , January 20

The supply of drinking water in six villages, including Malakowal, Gaddiwal, Ratanpur, Jhonowal, Kanewal, Ratanpur and Maharaj Bhuriwale Degree College, has been inconsistent for nearly a fortnight. Annoyed by it, people in these villages, longing for every drop of water, held a protest in Malkowal against the officers of the water supply department. The villagers said they are given water from Malakowal drinking water supply scheme and it has been stalled for 15 days due to the faulty pump. They alleged that the pump’s motor creates problems almost every month and lack of technical staff to run it has also been a major reason for it.

Today, the women, children and people in these villages, gathered at Malakowal and raised sogans against the authorities concerned. They alleged that the department deliberately uses spurious material in its repairs so the motor burns, stalling drinking water supply in half a dozen villages. They alleged that the department does not even send tankers to provide drinking water. The people have to bring drinking water from far-flung villages.

Sarpanch Avtar Singh, Bhagat Krishna Kumar Rana, Jograj, Amrik Singh Patwari, Suraj Rana, Suraj Shokar, Joga Singh, Dilabar Singh, Chhindo, Charno and Gurbakhsh Kaur were among those present on the occasion. Executive Engineer Lal Chand said, “The motor of the water supply scheme was burnt and it will take at least 15 days to get it fixed. When it was rectified, the pump broke down and when it was fixed, the ball bearings of motor broke. Now, a small motor has been installed to restore the supply of drinking water and it will soon be started.”

The Executive Engineer said that earlier too, he had received complaints that he was not attending to phone calls. “Whatever action can be taken, I will take for sure,” Lal Chand said.