Coalmine paralysed over water supply

TALCHER:Villagers of Baunsagadia on Tuesday paralysed production and despatch at Hingula colamine demanding piped water supply through a village pond, as promised by the coal authorities earlier. They had paralysed the coalmine twice earlier over the demand.

Villagers entered the mine area and stopped production for over three hours till police intervened. They then blocked coal despatch from the mine till 2 pm when the colliery authorities visited the spot to speak to the agitators. The blockade was lifted after the talks.

Villagers depend on the pond for their water requirements. They had earlier urged the coal authorities to provide piped water to their households through the pond and the latter had agreed to the demand. However, work on it is yet to start.General Manager of MCL, Hingula area, KC Khuntia said the pipeline to the pond could not be laid due to some people who refused to allow the pipeline to pass through their land.