Theog villagers give 20-day ultimatum for regular water supply

Residents of Theog and adjoining panchayats today stormed the SDM office demanding regular water supply. The protesters gheraoed the SDM in his office for six hours and left the place late in the evening only after Jal Shakti Department officials assured them of looking into their complaints and taking remedial measures. “We have given the Jal Shakti Department officials 20 days to ensure regular supply of water in the affected panchayats of Theog and Kasumpti Assembly constituencies. If regular water supply is not ensured within the given time, we will launch a bigger protest,” said Sohan Thakur, a member of the Theog Jal Bachao Sangharsh Morcha, which is spearheading the protest.

Several panchayats in and around Theog are facing water shortage and irregular supply for sometime now. In several panchayats, people have been getting water supply after 12 to 15 days and more. “We had met the authorities concerned earlier also and were assured that the department would take remedial measures shortly. However, there haven’t been much improvement in the situation and that’s why we protested at the SDM office on Thursday,” said Pooja Kanwar, one of the protesters.

Meanwhile, Sohan Thakur said that the department officials had assured them that they would visit all water supply schemes in the affected areas with the members of the Theog Jal Bachao Sangharsh Morcha to ensure regular water supply.

He said, “Also, we have been assured that the department will monitor the water schemes running on the outsourced basis and ensure that workers employed by the contractors to run them are paid minimum wages.”