Residents, INDIA bloc leaders protest contaminated water supply in Rohtak

Tribune News Service

Rohtak, April 29

A number of residents of Rohtak city, along with INDIA bloc leaders, staged a massive protest against the supply of contaminated water in local colonies today.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s wife Asha Hooda, Rohtak MLA Bharat Bhushan Batra, Kalanaur MLA Shakuntala Khatak, noted social activist and CPM leader Jagmati Sangwan and AAP leader Loveleen Tuteja led the protesters.

“Residents of the city have been facing a crisis of drinking water for the last nine and a half years. The current BJP regime is not paying any heed to it. The government had launched AMRUT Yojana to ensure the provision of clean water and allocated Rs 350 crore, but no work was done on ground and the scheme turned into a scam,” said Asha Hooda.

Amrut yojana a scam: Asha hooda

The government had launched AMRUT Yojana to ensure the provision of clean water and had allocated Rs 350 crore, but no work was done on ground and the scheme turned out to be a scam — Asha Hooda

She said in a memorandum submitted to the district administration, residents of Rohtak have demanded an impartial investigation into the matter, adding that the government had been given one week’s ultimatum to ensure the provision of clean drinking water.

“If the government still does not take any concrete steps in this matter, we will observe a fast in protest. This is not a political fight but a question of people’s lives. The residents, especially children, are suffering from various diseases as dirty water is being supplied for drinking,” said Asha Hooda. Congress MLA from Rohtak BB Batra said he had raised the issue in the state Assembly.

“The then Chief Minister, Manohar Lal Khattar, had promised to release a sum of Rs 14 crore to resolve the issue, but not a single rupee of the said amount has been spent for ensuring a clean water supply,” he lamented.

Rohtak SDM Ashish Kumar, who received the memorandum from the protesters, said the Superintending Engineer (SE) of the Department of Public Health and Engineering had been directed to constitute fast-track teams and get the matter resolved in the affected colonies on top priority.

On the other hand, the affected residents maintained that they were still getting dirty water as the local administration or the department concerned had not taken any effective action.

Dr Hariom of Srinagar Colony and Advocate Gaurav Badhwar of Model Town, who have made complaints in this regard and have been actively pursuing the matter, lamented that contaminated water was still being supplied in their areas despite repeated complaints and reminders.

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