The last few days saw residents from many parts of the city suffering due to frequent power cuts and a few areas going without power for as long as 100 hours. Now, a few areas of North Nagpur are suffering due to absence of yet another essential: water.
Places like Juna Jaripatka, Sindhu Balodhyan, Bank Colony, Mahavir Nagar, Vasant Shah Chowk etc are facing acute water problem since the last few days. A mob of around 50 person gheraoed officials of Nagpur Municipal Corporation at the water tank near Itarsi Pul at Bezonbagh on Tuesday.
Congress activist Suresh Jagyashi alleged that a water tanker driver misbehaved with the public which resulted in an altercation between them on Monday. The water tanker driver decided to go on strike on Tuesday morning. This resulted in residents of many areas going without water. They are charging up to Rs 400 per tanker. "The defaulting water tanker drivers and contractors should be blacklisted by NMC," he demanded. There are around 12 tankers operating from this area, each doing 10 to 12 trips daily. "If the water is distributed through taps, there would no problem. But valves are blocked and tanker system is encouraged, which gives rise for corruption," he said.
Chairman of NMC water supply committee Prakash Totwani, who reached the spot, pacified the agitating crowd with an assurance that their problem would be addressed. He added that these areas are getting more water as compared to last year. The tankers are also being monitored through GPS.
Swati Bhagat, a resident of Juna Jaripatka, countered Totwani's claim, asking that if their area was getting additional water, where was it going. "Taps and bore wells in our area have dried up. NMC tankers are not frequent enough to tackle the water crisis. We want water through taps which will solve black marketing of water," she said.
A local resident Vandana Chavan added, "Rich people can afford to bribe NMC tanker drivers but we can't, and so we are deprived of the essential commodity like water, that too in summer. Our corporator Ved Prakash Arya gives us slips for the tanker, but what's the use if we don't get the water?"
On the other hand, NMC officials and water tanker drivers said they are pressured by influential people. They alleged that there are many instances in which the people try to bribe them for getting water out of turn.
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