Rohtak residents desperate for water, power

Rohtak, May 30

The residents of Rohtak are grappling with a shortage of water and erratic supply of electricity amidst the blistering heatwave sweeping the region these days.

Long and unscheduled power cuts, coupled with rationing of water and supply of contaminated water are causing grave inconvenience to the residents in the sweltering weather.

Residents of different colonies and localities have staged protest demonstrations over the shortage of water and electricity in the last few days.

“The residents who have been buying water for drinking and other daily needs are now getting submersible pumps installed to meet their household requirements,” points out Jagdish Lal, a resident of old town area.

Sheela, a resident of Nindana village in Rohtak district, complains that water was being supplied in their village only once in four to five days.

Not only the residents of villages old town localities, but also those living in posh colonies and HSVP sectors are facing these problems.

“The residents feel frustrated and helpless as their repeated requests and protests have fallen on deaf ears. The officials concerned provide only lip service and have failed to take any effective action to address even the pressing concerns of the residents,” laments local social activist Jagmati Sangwan, who has spearheaded several agitations over the issues.

Pointing out that the scarcity of water is being faced by the residents of Jhang Colony, Vikas Nagar, Bharat Colony, Shrinagar Colony, Chinyot Colony, Pahada Mohalla, Ekta Colony, Vijay Nagar, Model Town and several other localities of the city, she maintains that the water camps organised by the Department of Public Health and Engineering had proved to be a flop show. A fresh agitation will be launched after holding a special public hearing on the issues, she added.

Contacted for comments, Rohtak Deputy Commissioner Ajay Kumar conceded the shortage of water in the district and attributed it to short supply of raw water.

Asked about the erratic supply of electricity, he said it was due to increased demand and load on the system.

“All-out measures are being taken at the level of the state authorities to ensure adequate and smooth supply of water and electricity. We are making efforts to address the issues at the local level,” said the DC.

On the other hand, the affected residents rue that the infrastructure and equipment at the waterworks have been crying for maintenance for years, but no concrete action has been taken by the authorities concerned in this regard.

“The water tanks at the waterworks in Sector 1 are covered with water hyacinth, while the other waterworks are also in a bad shape due to poor maintenance. Efficient supply of water is hit due to lack of desilting, wild growth of weeds and rusted equipment at waterworks,” states Kamlesh Kumar, a resident.