Sirsa villagers clean water tank, slam officials for neglect

In a remarkable display of community spirit, residents of Jandwala Jatan village in Sirsa district took it upon themselves to clean one of their village’s water tanks after repeated inaction from the local administration and panchayat. As many as 45 villagers, assisted by six tractors, carried out the tank cleaning work without any support from the Public Health Department or the panchayat.

The villagers reported that the tank had not been cleaned for a long time, leading to contamination of drinking water. This resulted in health concerns and inconvenience for the residents. Frustrated by the prolonged neglect, the community decided to act on its own.

Former sarpanch Shivraj Singh, along with villagers Ruldu Singh, Arjun Singh, Sahib Singh, Ranjit Singh, Nazar Singh, Balkaran, Sevak Singh, Harjinder Singh, and Mandar Singh, shared details of the effort and raised concerns about the state of their water infrastructure.

According to the villagers, the local water facility has two main storage tanks one of them is relatively new, built just five years ago, yet it already suffers from leakage problems. The side walls of the newer tank have started to erode, causing water to drain out quickly. The older tank is in poor state. Due to this, the village has faced a significant water shortage, especially during the canal closure period.

The villagers emphasised that the department should have taken advantage of the canal shutdown to repair and clean both tanks. However, no such action was taken. With water becoming increasingly scarce, the villagers voluntarily organised the cleaning of one tank to ensure at least some access to clean drinking water. During the process, residents expressed dissatisfaction with the officials concerned, accusing them of negligence that forced the village to consume impure water.

They also criticised the local panchayat, stating that it could have easily deployed MGNREGA workers for the task, but chose not to act.

Speaking on the matter, village sarpanch Manjubala admitted that the tanks had not been cleaned for a long time. She said efforts could have been made under MGNREGA, but the labourers often refused to work. She added that the department should have ensured timely maintenance and cleaning of the tanks considering the water shortage.

Meanwhile, Vishal Jiyani, SDO of the Public Health Department, responded to the villagers’ move by calling their decision untimely. He said water had just started flowing in the canals and during such a critical window, the focus should have been on filling the tanks, not cleaning them. However, he assured that the leaking tank would be repaired soon, and until then, water would be supplied from the functional tank.