SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 28: Sindri township denizens have been on boil against the management of Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCI) and district administration over the month-long water crisis in the area.
FCI VSS Employees Welfare Association today shot off a memorandum to the management of FCI and Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Dhanbad Sandip Singh asking the district administration to either restore the water supply in the 6,000 quarters of the leaseholders in Sindri Township or face the agitation.
FCI VSS Employees Welfare Association President Sewa Singh in the memorandum has pointed out that over 25,000 people living in these quarters have been facing a major crisis of water in lack of proper supply.
The association had on June 8 sent an SOS to both the concerned authorities regarding the crisis but even after 20 days, no step has been initiated so far. The residents have been left in the lurch to combat the crisis themselves.
The crisis has forced the residents to have to purchase the water at mammoth prices to cater to their daily requirements.
“As per the agreement, maintaining a proper supply of water in the quarters of leaseholders is the responsibility of the FCI management. Despite giving information, the responsible authority of FCI has not taken cognizance of people’s plight. The patience of the residents has run out due to the indifferent attitude of the officers, compelling them to descend on the road as the prolonged water crisis has taken a serious turn. In this situation, if any untoward incident occurs then the FCI management would be responsible for it,” said Sewa Singh.
Though FCI Sindri has been closed for a long time now, it has still over 6,000 quarters and other properties. Most of the quarters have been given on annual leases to the VSS employees. The residents of quarters depend on the supply system of FCI.
FCI VSS Employees Welfare Association has also sent a copy of the memorandum to the Dhanbad Senior Superintendent of Police, Baliapur Block Development Officer and other concerned officials before launching the agitation for the supply of water.
