Kadamkuan residents block road to protest water scarcity in Patna

PATNA: Residents of different localities in the city are experiencing water scarcity with the onset of summer. Fed up with the inability of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) to streamline the irregular and erratic water supply, residents of Dariyapur Gola locality under Kadamkuan police station, including women, protested with empty pots and buckets on Thursday. They also burned tyres while blocking the road in the locality.
The locals raised slogans against the civic body and the councillor of ward number 42. The protesters alleged that the water supply was not streamlined in the area despite repeated requests to the wad councillor.
Mukesh Kumar, a resident of Dariyapur Gola, said the water pipeline of their ward was cut near Patna Collegiate and taken to ward number 40, due to which the pressure of water supply in their ward got affected. "We are experiencing this situation for last couple of days. A group of people went to meet the councillor to raise the water scarcity issue on Wednesday. He heard our grievances and assured that he will raise the issue at the meeting of the water board, but the problem has not been resolved yet," he said.
Another protester, Shakuntala Devi (47), said new water pipeline were laid in their ward under 'Nal Jal Yojana', but they could not avail this facility as the water supply was diverted to another ward. "The councillor never pays heed to our problems. Even after the installation of water tank in our ward, we are suffering from water scarcity," she said.
The locals said people were facing problems during this summer due to erratic water supply. "It is just the start of summer. God knows what the situation during scorching heat will be," they said.
The agitation led to disruption of traffic movement between Naya Tola and Kadamkuan. Vimlendu Kumar, SHO of Kadamkuan police station, reached the spot with force and pacified the agitators.
Kailash Prasad Yadav, councillor of ward number 42, said he was upset with the slow work of engineers. "The matter was resolved in the evening after the junior engineer inspected the water pipe and stopped the bypass of water supply from ward 42 to 40. It is the duty of water board to look into these issues, but they did not respond to my complaint. They react only when the protests erupt," he said.