Hill parties demamd end to water crisis

DARJEELING: People's Democratic Front, an alliance of five Opposition parties, will launch an agitation demanding a solution of the perpetual water problem in the Hills.

The PDF's central committee will meetlater to chalk out their future course of action. PDF president Madan Tamang said all political parties, including Gorkha National Liberation Front and CPM, will be invited to the meet. `Water is a common problem in the Hills so, we should all put our heads together to find a solution,` he said. A committee should be formed with representatives from all political parties to look into the problem. He said till now only temporary work has been done and with the onset of summer the problem will worsen. `We don't want to use water problem as an election stunt. We'll stop the agitation if CPM and GNLF finds a solution to the problem. The ball is in their court.` About GNLF chief Subash Ghising's recent comment to the media that the water problem is a minor one, Tamang said: `Ghising is the stumbling block.`

The Balasan water project report, prepared in 1995, is gathering dust. PDF spokesperson and former chairman of Darjeeling municipality D.K. Pradhan blamed the state government and DGHC for not taking any initiative to complete the Balasan water project. Pradhan said since Independence no political party, including Gorkha League, has ever done anything to solve the water problem.

The state government has, however, sanctioned Rs 4.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh for the Darjeeling and Kurseong municipalities to ease peoples' problems. Water tankers are being used to distribute water.

Courtesy
The Telegraph

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