Jamshedpur: Acting on the directions of East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Rajiv Ranjan, authorities of the Jamshedpur Notified Area Committee (JNAC) and Mango Municipal Corporation (MMC) have increased the number of tankers in colonies facing water shortage.Civic officials stated that MMC has added five tankers to its existing fleet of seven while JNAC has added six to its existing six tankers taking the total capacity to 12 each in the two municipal bodies.Residents of about 24 colonies located under the 2 municipal bodies are experiencing acute water shortage for the past one month due to depleted groundwater amid the rising temperature leading borewells and handpumps to go dry. The irregular piped water supply has further compounded the problem.Affected areas included Birsanagar, Burmamines, Bhuyadih, Sonari, Cable Town, Kadma, Baridih, among others, under JNAC command area. Similarly, residents of Jawaharnagar, Azadnagar, Subhash colony, Shyamnagar, Ektanagar, Goudbasti, Samatanagar, post office road, Olidih under MMC are grappling with water shortage. About 1.50 lakh people are facing the problem under both civic bodies.“We have been taking up the water crisis issue with MMC regularly but there’s very little relief so far. We hope things will improve,” said Vikas Singh, a Mango resident.JNAC deputy municipal commissioner Krishna Kumar, who is also in-charge of MMC, stated that both the agencies have issued helpline numbers for complaints between 10 am and 5 pm.JNAC helpline number is 7991149415, while MMC helpline numbers are 8603533700 and 7488342330, he said.Ranjan had asked the municipal bodies to map the colonies that are facing water crisis and take necessary measures immediately to provide relief to residents. “I will make random visit to the residential areas to inspect the ground reality,” he had said.
