M F AHMAD
Daltonganj, June 25: The drinking water and sanitation department in Daltonganj is all out to reach piped water under the Nal se Jal Yojna at the hamlet Chokhra under the Naudeeha Bazar in Palamu.
Executive engineer Ashutosh Kumar said today the topography of this hamlet is tough and arduous as there is no road to reach this hamlet of 25 to 30 houses. One can only trust their legs to reach here.
“We are trying to reach drinking water here under the Single Village Water scheme. We will do it,” he said.
The executive engineer said at Chokhra there is the problem of the locale or topography but the problem in laying down of the water pipes under the Nal se Jal arises also in the plains.
“There is a family in Lesliganj which is not allowing us to lay down our pipes under the Nal se Jal Yojana. The pipes are to pass under the agricultural field of the family and thus it is adamant not to permit us to lay down our pipes,” Ashutosh said.
About the workforce, the executive engineer said there is a sanctioned strength of 11 junior engineers here but as against this, only 3 junior engineers are working here and one of the 3 is to superannuate in less than a year from now.
Quoting figures of the rural households in Palamu till 1.4.2022, it comes to 3,63,453 households where Nal se Jal is to reach.
However, tap water is available in only around 43,000 households which comes to a bare 11.82 percent of the target.
On this, Ashutosh said that the Nal se Jal Yojana was launched by the government of India in 2019. Jharkhand saw two elections that year- the Lok Sabha election and the Vidhan Sabha election.
From mid of March 2020, lockdowns were implemented due to the Covid 19 pandemic. The year 2021 saw the worst phase of the Coronavirus. All of these have had effects on many governmental schemes.
Ashutosh said only 3 percent progress was recorded in Palamu when he took over charge around 2 years ago and now it is nearing 12 percent of the achievement of Nal se Jal Yojana.
“The rural folks for whom we are trying to reach them piped water are least enthusiastic about it. They look indifferent, not ready to pay 50 or 60 rupees for the upkeep of the tapped water logistics,” said Ashutosh.
Ashutosh said rural folks have cell phones, many having 2 cell phones but when it comes to paying for safe potable water through the tap, they develop cold feet.
The participation and involvement of the rural folks in the Nal se Jal Yojana are most important if one wants to see it as successful, according to the executive engineer.
“We are dependent on many departments too like the electricity department and if its support is wanting our scheme is bound to get affected,” he said.
“The forest and the railways too come in our way and do not allow us to lay our pipes,” he added.
He talked about the problem with the forest department in Chhaterpur and with the railways in the Hussainabad area.
“We are facing problems in our piped water supply scheme in Harihurganj from NH 98 authorities also,” Ashutosh said.
The problem is not to lay pipes for water in the forest, railway and NH land where if water pipes are laid in their land, then noises are made as if all hell will break loose on their land.
