Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 73
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 73
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Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
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Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 74
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Code Context


        trigger_error($message, E_USER_DEPRECATED);

    }
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 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php.'
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deprecationWarning - CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311
Cake\Http\ServerRequest::offsetGet() - CORE/src/Http/ServerRequest.php, line 2421
App\Controller\ArtileDetailController::printArticle() - APP/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line 74
Cake\Controller\Controller::invokeAction() - CORE/src/Controller/Controller.php, line 610
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::_invoke() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 120
Cake\Http\ActionDispatcher::dispatch() - CORE/src/Http/ActionDispatcher.php, line 94
Cake\Http\BaseApplication::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/BaseApplication.php, line 235
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\RoutingMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/RoutingMiddleware.php, line 162
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Routing\Middleware\AssetMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Routing/Middleware/AssetMiddleware.php, line 88
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Error\Middleware\ErrorHandlerMiddleware::__invoke() - CORE/src/Error/Middleware/ErrorHandlerMiddleware.php, line 96
Cake\Http\Runner::__invoke() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 65
Cake\Http\Runner::run() - CORE/src/Http/Runner.php, line 51
Cake\Http\Server::run() - CORE/src/Http/Server.php, line 98

Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Code Context
            if (Configure::read('debug')) {

                trigger_error($message, E_USER_WARNING);

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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.

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                <strong>Where soft drink is easier to get than water by Abhijeet Chatterjee</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.<br /><br />The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.<br /><br />Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.<br /><br />&ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.<br /><br />&ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.<br /><br />&ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&rdquo; Pandit said.<br /><br />Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&rdquo;.<br /><br />&ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.<br /><br />&ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.<br /><br />Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.<br /><br />Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.<br /><br />District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.<br /><br />Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &ldquo;The villagers&rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;
It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
	&#039;credit_writer&#039; =&gt; &#039;The Telegraph, 6 May, 2011, http://telegraphindia.com/1110506/jsp/bengal/story_13946136.jsp&#039;,
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water..."/>
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                <strong>Where soft drink is easier to get than water by Abhijeet Chatterjee</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.<br /><br />The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.<br /><br />Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.<br /><br />&ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.<br /><br />&ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.<br /><br />&ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&rdquo; Pandit said.<br /><br />Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&rdquo;.<br /><br />&ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.<br /><br />&ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.<br /><br />Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.<br /><br />Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.<br /><br />District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.<br /><br />Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &ldquo;The villagers&rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;,
	&#039;disp&#039; =&gt; &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;,
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;
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It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...&#039;
$disp = &#039;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;div align=&quot;justify&quot;&gt;It&amp;rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&amp;rsquo;s Saltora.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&amp;rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &amp;ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&amp;rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &amp;ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&amp;rdquo;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&amp;rdquo; Pandit said.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &amp;ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&amp;rdquo;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&amp;rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&amp;ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&amp;rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&amp;rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&amp;rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &amp;ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&amp;rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &amp;ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&amp;rdquo; he added.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &amp;ldquo;The villagers&amp;rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&amp;rsquo;s permission.&amp;rdquo;&lt;/div&gt;&#039;
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water..."/>
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                <strong>Where soft drink is easier to get than water by Abhijeet Chatterjee</strong></h1>
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                <br /><div align="justify">It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.<br /><br />The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.<br /><br />Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.<br /><br />&ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.<br /><br />&ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.<br /><br />&ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&rdquo;<br /><br />&ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&rdquo; Pandit said.<br /><br />Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&rdquo;.<br /><br />&ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.<br /><br />&ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.<br /><br />Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.<br /><br />Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.<br /><br />District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&rdquo; he added.<br /><br />District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.<br /><br />Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &ldquo;The villagers&rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;</div>               </font>
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<div align="justify">
It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.<br />
<br />
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.<br />
<br />
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&rdquo; Pandit said.<br />
<br />
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&rdquo;.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.<br />
<br />
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.<br />
<br />
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&rdquo; he added.<br />
<br />
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.<br />
<br />
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &ldquo;The villagers&rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...',
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.<br />
<br />
The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area.<br />
<br />
Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora&rsquo;s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,&rdquo; Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,&rdquo; the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. &ldquo;We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,&rdquo; Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,&rdquo; Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. &ldquo;These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.&rdquo;<br />
<br />
&ldquo;We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,&rdquo; Pandit said.<br />
<br />
Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by &ldquo;rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories&rdquo;.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,&rdquo; said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee.<br />
<br />
&ldquo;We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,&rdquo; Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday.<br />
<br />
Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school&rsquo;s five tubewells had dried up.<br />
<br />
Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora&rsquo;s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise.<br />
<br />
District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. &ldquo;We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,&rdquo; he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. &ldquo;We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,&rdquo; he added.<br />
<br />
District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting.<br />
<br />
Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: &ldquo;The villagers&rsquo; allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration&rsquo;s permission.&rdquo;
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It&rsquo;s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura&rsquo;s Saltora.

The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water...'
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Where soft drink is easier to get than water by Abhijeet Chatterjee

It’s easier to get a bottle of soft drink than drinking water in Bankura’s Saltora. The CPM-controlled constituency is reeling from a severe water scarcity with the residents alleging that the Left has done precious little to provide purified drinking water in the area. Mrityunjoy Pandit, a 25-year-old resident of Saltora’s Ardhagram village, said the area had always faced water scarcity but this year it was acute because of the scanty rainfall last year. “There are three wells in our village. Of them, two have dried up completely while the water level in the other has receded significantly. The solitary pond here has also dried up,” Pandit said, pumping water from a tubewell. “See how water is trickling from the tubewell. It takes 15 minutes to fill a medium-sized bucket,” the mason said, wiping sweat off his brow. “We can offer you a bottle of soft drink but not drinking water,” Pandit said. His wife Tumpa, 20, stands silently by his side. “The Damodar river flows by our village and many other villages in Saltora and adjoining Mejia. But the government has done nothing to purify the river water and supply it to the local people,” Pandit added. He said that in Durgapur and Asansol across the river, at least six water-treatment plants had been set up. “These plants purify the Damodar water and supply it to the local civic bodies.” “We want a change in the government this time. We will not vote for the Left. We hope the new government will address our problems,” Pandit said. Several Saltora residents complained that the water crisis had been aggravated by “rampant illegal lifting of underground water by some local sponge-iron factories”. “These factories have been lifting underground water without permission through submersible pumps for the past four or five years. The water is used to run the factories. As a result, the water table is receding fast and our wells and tubewells are drying up,” said Sukhen Banerjee, a former South Bengal State Transport Corporation employee. “We had complained to the block development officer but no steps were taken. Now, we are waiting for the polls. We want change,” Banerjee said. Saltora goes to the polls on Saturday. Bidhan Sinha, the headmaster of Mejia High School, said three of the school’s five tubewells had dried up. Ramkrishna Thakur, 50, an electrician in Saltora’s Sirpura village, said the Congress government had planned a project to supply drinking water to the area way back in 1975 but the scheme did not materialise. District magistrate G.A. Ansari said the water scarcity was acute this time because of the lack of rainfall last year. “We will install new hand tubewells in the area soon,” he said. Ansari said he had received complaints that sponge-iron factories were lifting underground water indiscriminately without permission. “We sealed the submersible pumps of two sponge-iron factories last month,” he added. District officials, however, said no system was in place to monitor such water lifting. Ajoy Chakraborty, the production head of Ma Amba Sponge Iron Ltd, said: “The villagers’ allegations are not true. Our company has one submersible pump but it is used to draw only drinking water. The water required to run the plant is brought in tankers from the Damodar. For that, we have taken the administration’s permission.”