Rural Hazaribagh has been hit hard by a water crisis as the dry spell takes a firm grip. In most blocks, the handpump is the only saving grace but many of those too are lying defunct. Administration apathy has left remote villages devoid of drinking water.
A team in the district has been working continuously for repairing pumps but the situation has gone beyond control. A lack of staff has left this team helpless.
There are 20,375 handpumps in the district. Of these, 18,081 are in good condition and working well while 1,410 require work on the riser pipe. Some 884 need to be replaced and small defects have beset 437.
Water & sanitation executive engineer N Dwivedi said repair of handpumps across the district was a continuous process and there was also a team for it, though repair consent was yet to be received by headquarters.
Afternoon shower in Hazaribagh
Hazaribagh: Relief came from the skies in Hazaribagh on Sunday afternoon. The pre-monsoon rain came after the day started with a cloudy morning and skies that gradually darkened. It rained only for about half-an-hour but this was sufficient. For the past two to three weeks, the temperature of Hazaribagh, known for relatively cool weather, was continuously above 40 degrees Celsius. Since May 20, the temperature was threatening to cross 44 degrees mark.