About 10 per cent tube wells in Palamu collapse in summer. This is an annual average figure, said executive engineer drinking water & sanitation office, Daltonganj, Ajay K Singh.
Tube wells collapse due to soil texture and rocks if the rocks are loose, he added. Technical sources said attempt to revive collapsed tube wells is nothing but an exercise in futility as there is no assurance of water from such tube wells besides the cost of revival is close to almost a new sinking of tube well.
Two deep bore wells one at Konwai bazaar and the other at Chouban Tarn at Konwai village in Panki block have collapsed said a resident of Konwai Santu Singh.
Two solar water supply schemes at Konwai are lying dead over the last one year and nothing tangible has been done to make these water schemes functional charged this villager Santu Singh.
R Gupta SDO drinking water & sanitation office Panki admitted that motor pumps of these two solar water supply schemes have got burnt and hence water supply is a total disruption here since a long time.
Gupta said estimate for repair has been sent to this office in Daltonganj.
However, sources said the schemes were a total shut for one year if the version of Santu Singh is believed as the Pioneer has not been able to confirm it on its own then what prevented the drinking water & sanitation office Panki to act upon it.
A civil society activist of Panki Mumtaz Khan said, water crisis at Konwai is the worst in the whole of Panki and here people do rationing of water themselves.
Khan further said last year there was insufficient rain and so its impact this summer would be most felt here at Konwai.
Sources said Murmoosi is another village under lesliganj block which too has started reeling under water crisis.
SDO Gupta agreed that there are locations in Panki block where underground water is available 300 to 400 feet down.
Sources said minor repair works have put on hold many rural water schemes like the one at Konwai as these two solar water supply schemes can be in running condition with just an expenditure of 3 lakh for making the burnt motor pumps of these two schemes workable.