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DNA Campaign: The water battle rages

Residents of Prithviraj Nagar are gearing up for an indefinite protest from today as hundreds of colonies are staring at a water crisis. Avanindra Mishra reports

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Residents of Prithviraj Nagar are gearing up for an indefinite protest from Monday as hundreds of colonies are staring at a water crisis in the near future. 

This basic amenity remains in short supply even in regularised colonies. The apathy of the authority has turned residents ballistic and they plan to organise an indefinite sit-in at the Chitrakoot office of the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), which collected the regularisation fees.

“It’s their responsibility after all. They have collected over Rs 830 crore as regularisation charge so far,” leader of the agitating committee, advocate Ghanshyam Singh said. 

Rajni Vihar

Demanding water for Bisalpur, the residents are aware of the extent of the task and cost involved to connect these colonies to the mainstream water supply. The cost issue remains a major hurdle, demotivating the JDA or any other department to take up works. 

The JDA has been urging the Public Health Engineering department to undertake the work, while officials at the deputy commissioner’s office prefer to shrug responsibility. “It’s an issue that is to be considered at a higher level. A decision at the zonal level is not possible,” said a senior JDA official. 

It was inaction on part of the JDA that had first allowed most of these colonies to develop illegally. The authority continues to stay ‘inactive’ even as residents of these area crave for basic amenities.

Arrival of summer has further added to the water woes of residents, who have been urging the government for several years to take up development work. Earlier this month, hundreds of people demonstrated at JDA’s office at Chitrakoot under the banner of Prithviraj Nagar Jan Adhikar Sangharsh Samiti. None of the officials, however, have contacted them or assured of any solution. 

“We are forced to pay unreasonable sums for water tankers as the government has not set aside any solution for the water crisis,” said Rajesh Katara, a resident.

Having faced disappointment at every level of the government,these residents even knocked the doors of the human rights commission. The commission issued orders, which are yet to be implemented by the government. “It was in February this year that the commission gave orders in our favour. It, too, could not wake the officials up from their slumber,” said another agitated resident. 

These residents are further miffed with the rapid response shown by the government authorities after residents of Kho-Nagorian blocked the road.Prithviraj Nagar residents want to know, why the government can respond to the Kho-Nagorian residents so quickly, while ignoring their plea. 

‘ILLEGAL’ DEVELOPMENT 

So far as infrastructure goes, little has changed for colonies of Prithviraj Nagar post regularisation. Even the colonies that were regularised depend on the make-shift arrangements of the ‘illegal’ development days. Colonies such as Rajni Vihar and the surroundings depend on private tubewells. The connection cost of such tubewells is Rs 300-400 per month. The water quality of these continues to deteriorate with the depleting ground water level. During summer, the increased demand often gets rationed irregularly. Many of the colonies are even devoid of these and take the help of illegal water tankers, which charge astronomical rates. 

ALTERNATIVES AVILABLE

Most of Prithviraj Nagar lies in the dark zone where boring tubewells are restricted. The existing tubewells also face extinction as the water levels drop. The water table in the adjoining areas is low and hence fetching water through tankers remains an expensive affair.  Amid the situation, connection to the water line from Bisalpur remains the only hope for the area. The local MLAs, too, are aware of the situation but despite holding important positions in the government they have been unable to resolve the issue. 

THE DIVINE INTERVENTION

As authorities and concerned representatives ignore the plea of Prithviraj Nagar’s people, residents are seeking divine intervention. A ‘Sunderkand’ recital has been scheduled to mark the start of the ‘indefinite dharna’ at the JDA office.”Even as residents want to assemble at the JDA office from Monday morning, it will be in the afternoon that the demonstration will commence with Sundarkand Path,” said an agitation committee leader. “We have little hope left on officials who have been inconsiderate to our difficulties all this while. We will pray to God instead,” he adds. The agitation committee officials claim that the authority has been inconsiderate to the difficulties of thousands of residents.

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