Maoists responsible for water crisis : DIG

Gaya, May 3 (UNI) Deputy Inspector General of Police (Magadh range) Arvind Pandey today attributed the scarcity of drinking water in the extremist dominated areas to the 'stumbling blocks' put by ultras of proscribed CPI (Maoist) in implementation of related projects.

Mr Pandey said here that during the last 15 years several schemes for providing drinking water to the local residents could not be completed due to disruptive activities by the activists of CPI (Maoist).

''Extremists used to demand levy from the contractors engaged in the execution of different drinking water schemes leading to their departure from the area and thus hampering the progress of several projects in the area'', explained the police official.

''Jal dhara scheme and sinking of hand pumps could not progress to the desired level due to repeated demands of levy and kidnapping of contractors associated with these schemes'', he added.

Worst hit areas were Jehanabad, Aurangabad, Arwal, Nawada and Gaya where people were struggling to get potable water and sometimes the situation took a violent turn as they indulged in unruly behaviour for a bucket of water.

UNI XC/DH TJP RN 1503