Severe drinking water crisis in Tapan Block sparks concern

BALURGHAT: The problem of drinking water scarcity in Tapan Block is nothing new. Except for a few months in monsoon and winter, residents face acute water shortages throughout the year.

Tapan Block consists of 11 Gram Panchayats, encompassing over 250 villages, most of which are inhabited by tribal communities. The only source of drinking water in these villages is Mark-II tube wells. Each village has about five to seven such tube wells, while some have as many as 10 to 12. However, a majority of these tube wells are now dysfunctional. In some areas, evena the available water is not fit for consumption.

The crisis is particularly severe in Azmatpur, Chandipur, Malancha and Gofanagar Gram Panchayats. Residents often have to travel long distance to fetch drinking water.

In Chandipur Gram Panchayat’s Kasba and Lahapara villages, nearly eight Mark-II tube wells are out of order. Villagers used to rely on a solar-powered pump but that, too, has stopped working.

Sheuli Roy, a resident of one such village, expressed her distress, saying: “We have a few Mark-II tube wells but none of them are functional. The solar pump that supplied water has also broken down. Now, we even have to buy water for bathing and washing utensils.”

Niamul Mandal from Jamalgachhi village echoed similar concerns, stating: “Most of the tube wells in our village are not working. We are forced to use pond water for all our daily needs. The situation will worsen in the summer.”

When questioned about the dysfunctional tube wells, Krishna Barman, Sabhapati of Tapan Panchayat Samiti, explained: “Every year, the groundwater level is depleting, making the Mark-II tube wells ineffective. We are working on repairing them.” Tirthankar Ghosh, the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Tapan, assured that measures are being taken, saying: “In areas facing acute water scarcity, we are supplying water through tankers. The dysfunctional solar pumps are also being repaired.”

The severe crisis has led to frequent protests, with villagers blocking state highways in demand of drinking water. In the last six months alone, there have been road blockades at nine different locations across Tapan. While the administration has temporarily managed the crisis by supplying water through tankers, there is no clarity on when a permanent solution will be implemented.