<p class="MsoNoSpacing"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">SORENG,:</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">
Several villages in Geling and Samsing under Salghari-Zoom constituency in
Soreng district have been grappling with an acute drinking water crisis for
decades, with residents relying heavily on rainwater harvesting to meet their
daily needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">The
villages, inhabited by more than 200 residents, continue to face a persistent
shortage of potable water, which worsens during the dry season when water
supply often becomes irregular or stops altogether.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">“We
leave no vessels and utensils empty when it rains. For us, rain means water,” a
resident of Geling said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">According
to villagers, drinking water is supplied from the distant Rambak source by the
concerned department, but the supply remains inadequate in view of the growing
population and increasing consumption needs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">They
said the Rambak source also caters to nearby rural areas, making it
insufficient to meet the demands of Geling and Samsing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Residents
said the crisis severely affects daily life and construction activities,
especially during the dry season, when water has to be transported from far-off
places at high costs.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Transporting
1,000 litres of water costs around Rs. 500, while two 1,000-litre tanks cost
between Rs. 800 and Rs 900, according to local transporters.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">A
villager said the daily water supply to her household lasts only 10 to 15
minutes, which is insufficient for routine domestic use.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">“Sometimes
the water supply remains snapped for several days, causing numerous problems
for the villagers,” she said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Another
resident alleged that repeated appeals made over the years for a sustainable
solution to the drinking water crisis had failed to yield any concrete results
despite assurances from the authorities.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Public
Health Engineering (PHE) assistant engineer Samir Rai said <a name="_Hlk229594254">the Rural Development department</a> was responsible for
drinking water supply in rural areas such as Geling and Samsing.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">He
added that the PHE department currently has no project to address the water
crisis in the two villages. Officials of the the Rural Development department
could not be reached for comment.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Villagers
said Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang had on several occasions assured that a
comprehensive project would be undertaken to address the drinking water
shortage in the Salghari-Zoom constituency, but no such project has
materialised so far.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Despite
the prolonged hardship, residents expressed hope that the State government
would eventually take steps to provide a permanent solution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">“We
believe that the State government will consider our genuine demand for drinking
water supply, and our sufferings will come to an end,” a villager said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Residents
said the lack of nearby perennial spring water sources remains the primary
obstacle in resolving the crisis. Available water sources are either located in
far-flung areas or in locations unsuitable for laying supply lines, they added.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">“Identification
of a perennial water source and implementation of a comprehensive drinking
water project could provide a sustainable solution,” another villager from
Geling said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Villagers
also said the lack of water and irrigation facilities has adversely affected
agriculture in the region despite the fertility of the land.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Farmers
largely depend on rainwater and seasonal rain-fed streams for cultivation,
which impacts agricultural productivity, they added.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Bookman Old Style",serif">Residents
of Geling and Samsing said they were eagerly awaiting a lasting solution to the
long-pending drinking water problem. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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