Drinking water crisis: BJP threatens stir
The ongoing confrontation between the councillors of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Congress further intensified after the former on Friday threatened to launch a stir if the government did not initiate corrective measures to ensure regular supply of potable water to the residents of the town and its adjoining areas.
The ongoing confrontation between the councillors of the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the ruling Congress further intensified after the former on Friday threatened to launch a stir if the government did not initiate corrective measures to ensure regular supply of potable water to the residents of the town and its adjoining areas.
Earlier, the BJP councillors along with Municipal Council (MC) vice-chairman Pawan Gupta had boycotted the general house and council's standing and finance committee's meetings to register their protest against the unresponsive approach of the government as well as chairman and social justice and empowerment minister DR Shandil, sitting legislator of Solan.
Meanwhile, the drinking water supply remained disrupted in various localities of the town on the fourth consecutive day, bringing the role of the officials concerned of the MC, irrigation and public health department under scanner.
The continuous voltage fluctuations at the Gaura pumping station coupled with breakdown in the rising main between Solan and Gaura again forced the IPH authorities to suspend the lifting operations. Following erratic lifting of water by the IPH department, the MC authorities have now started supplying potable water on the fourth day instead of the earlier alternative days, causing great hardships to residents.
The IPH authorities supplied around 12 lakh gallons of water on Friday against the daily requirement of 18 lakh. Officials claimed that despite repeated reminders to the authorities of the state power board, the needed voltage level was not being maintained at the pumping station, thereby affecting the lifting operations for the past fortnight.
BJP councillors Sunil Jagga, Meera Anand, Jangi Lal, Indu Sood, Krishna Sharma, Sushma Sharma, Sudha Mittal and Pawan Gupta holding minister DR Shandil responsible for the present crisis said even after public announcement of chief minister Virbhadra Singh, the government has miserably failed to establish the power substation at Gaura even after a gap of one year. The construction work of the station in question was started during the BJP rule.
The councillors said now raising finger on the BJP leaders by certain Congress councillors was indicative of that neither the government nor the administration was serious to address the problem of the common masses.
Slamming a nominated councillor for indulging in politics of mudslinging, BJP leaders said it was the Virbhadra Singh government that has failed to provide regular water supply despite establishing two lift drinking after schemes to the town. They said it was nominated councillor who had earlier levelled serious allegations on MC chairman Kul Rakesh Pant a few months ago.