The ambitious 'Mukhyamantri Nal-Jal Yojana' of the Bihar government was launched to provide clean drinking water to rural areas. The government's objective was to ensure that piped water reaches every household, relieving women and children from the hardship of fetching water from distant sources. However, the ground reality paints a completely different picture. In Ward No. 9 of Manjhila Panchayat in the Kauakol block of Nawada district, this scheme has fallen victim to corruption and administrative apathy. Here, the tap-water scheme has been completely stalled for the past year and a half, leaving villagers yearning for a single drop of water.
Water supply stalled for over a year
Local residents of Manjhila Panchayat state that the pipelines laid and taps installed outside their homes have been dry for a long time. When the scheme was launched, villagers hoped they would no longer need to drink water from hand pumps or wells. The system worked for a brief period, but due to technical faults and a lack of maintenance, the water supply stopped entirely. A year and a half has passed, but no responsible official has bothered to check why the scheme failed and when it will be restored.
According to locals, the underground and overhead pipelines have begun to decay due to a lack of upkeep. Many taps have broken or gone missing. The taps installed outside homes have been reduced to mere showpieces. The bitter truth is that despite crores of rupees spent from the public exchequer, the common people are reaping zero benefits from this scheme.
Dependence on alternative sources
Struggling for months over a basic necessity like water, the hardships of villagers multiply manifold during the summer season. When scorching heat sets in, the old hand pumps in the area also dry up. Consequently, people are forced to depend on distant sources or private boring points to quench their thirst. Women have to walk long distances daily with water pots, adversely affecting household chores and children's education.
Local residents express deep frustration that despite tall claims made during the inauguration of the project, government apathy has forced them to drink unclean or fetched water. Both youth and elders in the area are angry that public money has yielded no tangible results.
Demand for high-level inquiry
Fed up with the prolonged water crisis, villagers have now demanded a high-level inquiry by the district administration. They want not only an immediate revival of the stalled project but also an investigation into why no water was supplied for eighteen months. The residents have warned of staging protests if swift corrective action is not taken by the authorities.
