Agartala, January 2 (TIWN): Demanding eradication of drinking water crisis, the residents of Gournagar Block organized road blockade on Kailasahar-Kumarghat road for 2 hrs today. After passing one and half hour of the protest, the situation drew attention of the administration. The then, Police, DCM Animesh Dhar & Engineer of DW Department rushed to the spot and tackled the whole situation.

 A local alleged that the residents are facing acute drinking water crisis for long time. According to the locals, no water supply facilities are available in the locality for long period. As a result they face acute drinking water crisis especially in the dry spell. Above 90 per cent of the residents are dependent on agriculture for livelihood. But no water supply facilities have been offered to them by the concerned authority despite several requests, said a local resident.

Poor maintenance of pipelines supplying water in the city is largely to be blamed for the acute water crisis, he added. As a matter of fact, they have not been provided with sufficient drinking water during the last one week. The protesters also alleged that though the Drinking water and Sanitation (DWS) Department initially arranged for supply of drinking water by mobile tankers to help out distressed people but they are getting inadequate and poor quality of drinking water, he said. Though there is a deep tube well, but due to electricity crisis, it is yet to be started, the protestors further alleged.

 Despite repeated pleas to solve the scarcity of water no initiatives has been made over past few months. As a consequence, the locals today organized road blockade and demanded for immediate elimination of drinking water crisis.

Poor qualityDrinking water being displayed at Gournagar. TIWN Pic January 2