The initiative to use the water of two or three mining pits of Rajhara colliery of CCl - which has lakhs of gallons of water - is being delayed by the consultancy agency drafted to prepare a DPR of this scheme. Sources said the consultancy agency is based in Ranchi and is of a retired engineer in chief of drinking water & sanitation department.
Palamu DC Ameet Kumar said “ Our plan is to use this junk water lying rotting in these pits of the mines here. These waters can be made drinkable after proper and due treatment. For this consultancy agency was drafted and asked to prepare the DPR. This is still wanting.”
A K Singh executive engineer of drinking water & sanitation department Daltonganj conceded that the said consultancy agency has not yet submitted the DPR. He further said PFl (preliminary feasibility report) has suggested positively that waters of these mining pits exposed to the vagaries of nature over these years can be treated for making it drinkable. Reminded that the water has either become yellowish or green to which EE Singh said this can be treated adequately for consumption of human beings. However Singh cautioned that presence of lead ( seesa) in water will require expensive and time consuming treatment and for other sediments, deposits , bad minerals treatment is available and has been successful too.
Sources said DC Ameet Kumar is seized with the water crisis prevailing in this colliery region of Rajhara while lakhs of gallons of waters of the open cast mines here remain un used. The colliery officials dewater these pits and pour in its water into the rain fed river Koyal which is nothing but a wasteful expenditure.
Sources said DC is against dewatering of these water filled pits and wants its water to be treated first and then to make available to local residents here in 6 or 7 villages through underground pipes.
Singh said such a treated water supply of coal pits in Dhanbad has been a great success there and there is no reason as to why Rajhara colliery waters cannot be used in the same fashion here for the people.
The EE said he held talks with GM CCl in this regard but his response to this project was too tepid.