For residents of ward 26 and 27, water scarcity biggest issue in this election

Ranchi: The residents of wards 26 and 27 will vote in the upcoming election for the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) to seek an end to the acute shortages and irregular sanitation in their areas.

Families living in various localities under these wards go without water for days, which in turn is severely affects daily life and basic hygiene.In ward number 26, areas such as Budha Vihar Colony, Ashok Nikat Road, Kartik Oraon Road, Patel Road and Sri Ram Nagar face water shortages for prolonged periods of time. Supply of potable water through pipelines is erratic. In some cases, the taps run dry for several days at a stretch.Deepa Prasad, a resident of Sri Ram Nagar, said, "Water is not supplied for two to three days at a stretch. How are families supposed to manage cooking, cleaning and collect drinking water? We store water whenever it comes as household work becomes impossible otherwise."Similar conditions prevail in ward number 27, covering Veer Kunwar Singh Chowk, Jojo Street, Ayodhya Street, River Side Street and Farooqui Street.

Here, erratic water supply has forced many families to depend on private sources or borrow water from nearby areas. "Even basic needs like bathing children or caring for elderly family members become a challenge when there is no water," said Mani Tirki, a resident of Farooqui Street.Water shortages also compound sanitation problems in both the wards. Locals allege that cleaning work is not carried out on time, leading to garbage accumulation and unhygienic surroundings.

S N Singh, an aspiring candidate for ward 26, said, "Without water, maintaining cleanliness at home is difficult, and when sanitation services are also irregular, the situation becomes alarming."Notably, ward number 27 falls under a dry zone. Although a water tower was constructed a few years ago, residents said it does not function at present.Manoj Singh, an aspiring candidate for the ward, said, "Repeated complaints were made to local authorities, but no permanent solution has been provided so far. We demanded immediate restoration of regular water supply, along with timely sanitation services and strict monitoring of field staff."