The drinking water crisis in parts of Haryana has once again come under the spotlight, with Congress MP and former Union Minister Kumari Selja backing the ongoing protest by Chanaut villagers while residents of Reethat village alleged that even a ₹50 lakh drinking water project has failed to provide them with safe water under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Visiting Chanaut village on Saturday, Selja extended support to villagers staging a dharna over the alleged shortage of drinking water. Accusing the Haryana Government of failing to provide basic civic amenities, she said people were being forced to launch protests for essential services that should have been available as a matter of right.
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“It is unfortunate that people have to agitate for drinking water. A government should solve public problems instead of forcing citizens to come onto the streets for basic facilities like water and electricity,” Selja said while demanding an immediate and permanent solution to the crisis.
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The Congress leader further alleged that despite repeated claims of development, many villages in the state continue to struggle for basic infrastructure. Referring to the Chanaut agitation, she claimed that instead of resolving the issue, the administration had responded with tear gas and lathi-charge. “People are sitting on a dharna for drinking water. Instead of quenching their thirst, the government is using tear gas and lathis,” she alleged.
Selja’s criticism comes amid fresh allegations from residents of Reethat village, where locals claim that a drinking water project worth nearly ₹50 lakh has failed to deliver the promised benefits. The village, with a population of around 15,000, is yet to receive a regular supply of Reniwell drinking water despite pipelines being laid under the Jal Jeevan Mission around four years ago, residents said.
According to villagers, taps were installed at several households, but the promised water supply never became operational. They alleged that the incomplete execution of the scheme has left them dependent on privately operated tubewells located near the canal. Residents claimed the water is foul-smelling and appears to be chemically contaminated, yet they have no alternative source for drinking and domestic use.
The villagers further alleged that although four boosting stations were constructed in the village, only one has a pump operator and receives water occasionally, while the remaining three have remained non-functional for years. Even when water reaches one station, they claimed, it often fails to reach households because the distribution system is incomplete.
Residents also accused officials of portraying the project as functional on paper while the ground reality remains unchanged. They said many families are either compelled to consume allegedly contaminated water or spend nearly ₹1,000 on private water tankers to meet their daily requirements.
Villagers, including Hafiz Isha, Zakir Hussain, Haji Aasu, Hanif, Haji Tayyab, Khalid, Jaituni, Isaq and Samsu, urged the administration to complete the pending works under the Jal Jeevan Mission and ensure uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water. They maintained that despite repeated representations, the long-pending issue remains unresolved.
The developments in Chanaut and Reethat have intensified questions over the implementation of drinking water schemes in rural Haryana, with villagers demanding immediate intervention to ensure access to safe and reliable potable water.
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