B Sridhar | TNNJamshedpur: Residents of Bagbera staged a sit-in near Tatanagar railway station on Sunday to protest the prolonged delay in the Bagbera rural water supply project, which is expected to benefit more than two lakh people.Led by Gramin Vikas Sangharsh Samiti (GVSS) convener and former councillor Kishore Yadav, the protest saw participation from local residents, social activists and citizens who expressed anger over repeated missed deadlines.Yadav said the project has remained incomplete for nearly 11 years despite repeated assurances. He said the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department (DWSD) had announced several times that water supply in Bagbera would begin by June 14, but the deadline passed without supply starting.He said a large population in Bagbera continues to face an acute drinking water crisis, with residents depending on hand pumps, tankers and other sources. Many families are forced to travel long distances to fetch water, causing severe hardship.Speakers said people were no longer satisfied with assurances, as authorities had announced fresh deadlines for years without visible progress. Protesters demanded that DWSD make the project’s current status public and specify when supply will begin.Yadav warned the administration that if the project is not made operational within 15 days, the agitation would be intensified. “If necessary, we will launch an indefinite protest in front of the deputy commissioner’s office,” Yadav said.The foundation stone for the Rs 237-crore project was laid in April 2015, with completion scheduled for 2017. Once operational, it will cover 113 villages under 17 panchayats and 10 suburban colonies.DWSD executive engineer Sunil Kumar said partial supply would begin by June-end.Bottom of Form
