Fast unto death in Jamshedpur demanding water

Jamshedpur, Feb 22 (PTI) Activists of BagbedaMahanagar Vikas Samity (BMVS) today sat on fast unto to deathdemanding immediate water supply in Bagbeda and its vicinityon the outskirts of Jamshedpur, demanding that the governmentensure supply of water through pipe lines.

Led by the BMVS President Subodh Jha, over 12agitators including women, sat near Bagbeda roundabout sincemorning.

"We have been agitating for adequate steps to ensureregular water supply in Bagbeda, Haharguttu and adjoiningareas, having a population of over one lakhs, for years but noinitiative was taken by the government or Tata Steel as yet,"Jha said.

He said according to the lease agreement signedbetween the Tata Steel and the state government in 2005, thesteel major was supposed to provide basic amenities withineight kms radius from its command area.

Stating that Bagdeba falls within eight km of thecommand area, Jha demanded that the government should alsoensure implementation of the lease agreement.

Majority of the boring wells did not function whilethe water bodies including Kharkhai river had dried up due toinadequate rainfall during the last two years, he said addingthat people of these part of steel city were facing immensedifficulties to fetch water from far flung areas.

Jha said BMVS had itself started a water harvestingproject but did not get adequate support from theadministration or the company.

The BMVS president said the activists on fast wouldnot budge an inch till the demands were met.

He also appealed the political parties cutting acrossparty lines to join their agitation as water crisis hasbecoming a burning issue of these areas.