City of Shiva, struggling for water: Deoghar awaits Punasi Project

The thirst of residents in the Deoghar Municipal Corporation (DMC) area will soon be quenched, as the project to bring water from Punasi Dam is nearing completion. Residents of Deoghar and pilgrims staying at the homes of the city’s Panda community will no longer have to face a shortage of drinking water. The Jharkhand government funded Deoghar Urban Water Supply Augmentation and Strengthening Project is being implemented at a revised cost of Rs 298.69 crore. The project will draw water from the Punasi Reservoir to ensure a sustainable drinking water supply for Deoghar city. The project includes a 75 MLD intake well, 50 MLD WTP, 18 ML reservoir, 456.61-km distribution network, and 48,043 household water connections. The project is 67.68% physically and 61.13% financially complete and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2027, supplying treated water from Punasi Reservoir to thousands of Deoghar households. Deoghar’s groundwater level has fallen sharply, leading to its declaration as a dry zone in 2015. The state has stopped funding hand pumps in urban areas, while existing borewells have become ineffective as groundwater levels have dropped below their operating depth. Rajiv Jha, a resident, said PN Bose Road, College Road, Tiwari Chowk and several adjoining localities are among the worstaffected dry-zone areas. He noted that these densely populated areas face severen pressure during Shravani Mela, when a large number of pilgrims stay with Panda families rather than in hotels. However, due to the water shortage, Panda households are unable to provide adequate facilities to the pilgrims. During Shravan, many local families send women and children to their maternal homes to conserve limited water for pilgrims, prioritising devotees’ needs despite the hardship they face. The biggest hope is that once water from the Punasi Dam Water Supply Project starts reaching Deoghar, much of this crisis will be resolved. and children to their maternal homes to conserve limited water for pilgrims, prioritising devotees’ needs despite the hardship they face. The biggest hope is that once water from the Punasi Dam Water Supply Project starts reaching Deoghar, much of this crisis will be resolved.

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