Tripura government has unleashed emergency measures to cope with water crisis situation due to current dry spell. State’s drinking water and sanitation (DWS) department has involved some 110 water tankers for safe water distribution especially in tribal localities.
“We are helping out people facing acute water crisis. About 110 tankers would continue to supply water till the situation improves”, DWS Minister Ratan Bhowmik told The Hindu on Friday.
He said the arrangement initiated to reach out 300 hamlets, mostly in hilly terrains. They either never had any water source or the old source dried up, the minister informed.
“Overall water situation is better in the state except north and Dhalai districts. The affected localities spread over 22 administrative blocks”, Mr Bhowmik added.
Despite water tankers used, complaints of non-availability of drinking water are reaching even from urban areas and non-tribal villages.
Hundreds of women blocked a highway for hours in Udaipur in Gumti district on Wednesday protesting shortage of drinking water supply.
Mr. Bhowmik claimed such protests occur when the local sources like pumping facility or deep-tube-well develop technical snags. “The restoration of supply takes place two three days after repairing, but some people resort to agitation without knowing the actual problem”, he opined.
The DWS department has identified 138 hamlets across the state lacking permanent source of drinking water and its working on a time bound project to create a supply point. The minister said the National Drinking Water Mission and state government were funding the project expected to complete in June this year.
