Faulty design, Haryana village sans water

Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service
Hisar, August 31

Even 12 years after the Public Health Engineering Department set up waterworks at Kirtan village, its residents continue to wait for potable water supply to their homes. Villagers claim canal water can’t reach the waterworks due to faulty design of the inlet channel.

Facing perennial shortage, the villagers have been forced to purchase water from tankers as the groundwater is unfit for consumption.

A few years ago, tenders were allotted for Rs 40 lakh for repair of the inlet. Tender has been allotted for the third time now for Rs 20 lakh to fix the fault.

Sarpanch Rajpal Singh says the village earlier used to get supply from Sishwala village waterworks. “Things turned from bad to worse after the waterworks was built at our village costing Rs 2 crore, as the supply from Sishwala was cut off and water never reached our waterworks,” he says.

“Bigger tanks have been lying dry, while a smaller one receives very little quantity, sufficing the needs of 30 per cent of residents.” Every household has tanks, which are filled using hired tankers costing Rs 500 to Rs 600 each. Some fetch water from tubewells on the outskirts, he says.