Gramin Vikas Sangharsh Samiti Gives 15-Day Ultimatum, Threatens Indefinite Sit-In at DC Office
Key Points:
- Kishor Yadav warns of indefinite sit-in at DC office if scheme not activated in 15 days
- Bagbera rural water supply scheme has remained incomplete for nearly 11 years
- Residents of Bagbera, Harharguttu still dependent on tankers, hand pumps for water
JAMSHEDPUR — A one-day protest staged near Tatanagar railway station on Sunday drew large numbers of villagers and social workers demanding the immediate activation of the long-pending Bagbera rural water supply scheme.
The administration had earlier assured residents that water supply would commence by June 14. However, the deadline passed without any supply beginning, triggering fresh outrage among those who have waited for nearly 11 years.
The protest was organized under the banner of the Gramin Vikas Sangharsh Samiti and was led by Kishor Yadav, the organization’s convener and a former district council member. Addressing the gathering, Yadav said the scheme had been lying incomplete for close to a decade and a half, despite repeated assurances from official quarters.
Meanwhile, Yadav pointed out that localities including Bagbera and Harharguttu were continuing to suffer from an acute drinking water crisis. Residents there had been forced to depend on hand pumps, water tankers, and other makeshift arrangements, he said. Several families, he added, were compelled to fetch water from distant locations, adding to their daily hardships.
On the other hand, Yadav noted that the scheme, once operational, could serve as a lifeline for thousands of residents. He said that regular supply of clean potable water would also help control waterborne diseases in the area.
Besides addressing the gathering, Yadav urged the administration to immediately resolve any technical or procedural obstacles holding back the project. He called for a public disclosure of the scheme’s current status and a clear timeline for its completion.
Speakers at the protest said that years of assurances had yielded no tangible outcome on the ground. The Samiti demanded that the relevant department make the scheme’s present condition public and state exactly how much more time would be needed to begin supply.
Moreover, the Samiti’s stand was backed by the broader frustration with the scheme’s delay, which had been flagged earlier as well. MLA Sanjeev Sardar had previously inspected the Bagbera water supply scheme and had set a June 15 deadline for its completion.
In addition, the Bagbera area has also been affected by frequent power cuts during the prevailing heat, compounding residents’ difficulties.
At the conclusion of the protest, Yadav issued a firm warning. He said that if the Bagbera rural water supply scheme was not activated within the next 15 days, the agitation would be intensified. An indefinite sit-in protest outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office would also be launched if needed, he said. He made clear that the administration and the concerned department would be held responsible for any such escalation. The drinking water issue in the Jamshedpur region has been a recurring point of public concern, with the water supply crisis having drawn political attention across multiple localities.
