Jamshedpur: Over 1.5 lakh residents in suburban Govindpur and adjoining areas on the outskirts of Jamshedpur have been facing an acute water shortage since Sunday after a technical fault and a burnt transformer disrupted operations at the regional water supply facility.The disruption has affected nearly 40,000 households across 21 panchayats, including Chota Govindpur, Gadra, Parsudih, Sopodera, Sarjamda and Haludbani. With piped water supply remaining suspended for the third consecutive day, residents have been forced to depend on tankers and other sources.Amid growing public anger, a joint delegation of panchayat representatives met East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Rajiv Ranjan on Tuesday and sought immediate restoration of the supply. The delegation also demanded a permanent solution to recurring disruptions under the Govindpur water supply scheme.Leading the delegation, zila parishad member Paritosh Singh alleged that poor maintenance and delays in repairing faults had repeatedly left thousands of families without drinking water. He urged the district administration to hand over the operation and maintenance of the scheme to Tata Steel UISL to ensure regular and uninterrupted supply.The representatives also sought the swift installation of a new transformer and better coordination between the drinking water and sanitation department and Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd (JBVNL).The DC assured the delegation that the issue would be examined seriously and that efforts were being made to restore water supply at the earliest.“Five tankers arranged by local public representatives are supplying water every day. However, the quantity is too little to meet the requirements of such a large population,” said resident Raina Purty. The tankers are making three trips each to different bastis, depending on demand, residents said.Another resident, Ravi Kurli, said hand pumps in the area were not providing clean water, forcing people to rely on tanker supplies. Vibha Singh said several families were buying packaged drinking water for cooking as the crisis continued.
