BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 7th September 2024: Forty-eight hours after a news broadcast highlighted the dire state of drinking water in Churaibari, the Drinking Water & Sanitation (DWS) office was shaken into action. A marathon meeting with public representatives was held to address the crisis.
The news coverage focused on the only source of drinking water in Churaibari, revealed that villagers had been without regular drinking water for several days. The situation escalated when snails and various insects were found in the treated water tanks, prompting villagers to protest.
“The villagers were understandably upset. We had to act quickly to assure them that their concerns were being taken seriously,” said junior engineer Apu Purkayastha.
On the day of the meeting, the villagers were pacified by assurances from ruling party leaders about proper water distribution. Junior engineer Apu Purkayastha, contractor Arun Bhattacharya, and Kadamtala Panchayat Samiti chairman Mihir Ranjan Nath, along with several Panchayat Samiti members, including Raja Dhar and Hasim Talukdar, convened an urgent meeting to discuss the issue.
“Our primary focus was to ensure that the villagers receive regular, pure, and sterile drinking water,” said Mihir Ranjan Nath. “We are committed to finding a permanent solution.”
The meeting revealed a significant problem: the drinking water project, which provides one lakh gallons of water, falls short by 50,000 litres daily. This shortfall affects five gram panchayats, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and various schools, which collectively require about one and a half lakh gallons of water.
“We acknowledge the shortage and are working on resolving it. A monitoring committee has been formed to oversee the distribution and ensure that all issues are addressed promptly,” said Purkayastha.
The effectiveness of this hasty meeting remains to be seen, as the villagers await tangible improvements in their water supply.
