JSR's Mango has only 3,000 legal water connections against 22,000 illegal: Civic body findings

Jamshedpur: Every summer water crisis haunts large areas of Mango area in Jamshedpur as supply in the area is not adequate in comparison to the demand and adding to the woes are illegal water connections in the locality.As per the findings of the Mango civic body, as many as 22,000 water connections are illegal as they have no meter attached to the supply lines. Revealing the facts, deputy administrator of Mango civic body Krishna Kumar said, "As per the door-to-door survey done by officials, only 3,000 water connections are bonafide as they have meters attached to supply lines."Kumar has instructed for an immediate formation of a team of officials who will visit the different areas of Mango to serve notices to those having illegal water connections. He also directed that if meters are not fixed within the stipulated time frame given, not only connections will be snapped but legal action will be initiated against the defaulters.Recently local MLA from Jamshedpur West Saryu Roy lashed out at the local administration in connection with various anomalies in providing civic amenities to residents of Mango, which includes piped water supply too. Roy questioned that for more than three decades, every summer more than 70% of Mango residents have to face water crunch. He said all assurances made by the local authorities fall flat, of providing adequate water supply through pipelines , as mercury goes up in April every year. The situation normalises only after the onset of monsoon. In between periods people are left with little option but to purchase water at high costs from private tankers.Meanwhile, Shiv Sharma, a resident of Mango since 1967 lamented that, "Water supply in the area was not so bad 30 years earlier as supply was more than demand but things changed when density of population sharply shot up in the area, with the construction of high-rise apartments. Now, supply ratio is much less than demand and adding to the woes are illegal connections."He added, "Supply is also hampered as at many households using illegal water pumps which have been directly installed in main supply lines. Last year, Mango civic body made an effort to conduct surprise raids at houses with pumps installed in main lines but this year things are back to square one."Sharma and many others in the colony said, "Mango civic body officials are reluctant to take action even after residents lodge complaints of illegal water pumps' installations or connections." Sharma even alleged that officials are hand in glove with tanker agents, who mint money out of this water crisis in summer months every year.