Residents block road for 3 hours over water shortage

Mahilpur, June 3

Residents of Jaijon Doaba village here are facing water shortage for long. This afternoon the angered residents locked the tube well room, pulling out the employees from there.

They also blocked the Jaijon Doaba-Una road for nearly three hours in protest against the Punjab Government and the Water Supply Department.

Protesters Satnam Singh, Panch Krishna Devi and Punch Sucha Ram said the government tube well located in the village was the only source of water supply for the village. There was a water scarcity going on in the village for the past three months.

“We have made many complaints with the department several times in this regard, but to no avail. Many times, the residents of the village arrange water from tankers on their own,” alleged the protesters.

They said as the temperature rose in the past one week, the situation became worse than before.

The residents alleged that tube well employees give more water to their near ones and for it they stop water supply to other places. The condition is so worse that there were many places which fail to get even a single drop of water.

The protesters said: “Despite paying bills for water, people were craving for every drop of water.”

The residents raised slogans against the government and the department.

Additional SDO Sukhwinder Singh, who reached the spot, assured the protesters to repair the tube well within a week to improve the supply of water.

He said: “Due to the scorching heat, the level of water has gone down, which has made it difficult to maintain the supply but it will be fixed soon.” — OC