A deep tubewell dug by an industrial unit at Adityapur. Picture by Uma Shankar Dubey

Jamshedpur, Oct. 1: Self-reliance is the new mantra for entrepreneurs of Adityapur as far as basic amenities are concerned. It may be a strain on their financial resources, but it ensures better functioning of the industrial units.

Of late the industrialists are making their own arrangements to tackle the deplorable power and water supplies in the biggest and industrial estate of the state. Promises by the power board and the water resources ministry have proved hollow.

Generator sets are fast replacing power lines made by Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) in the industrial units. The poor water supply in the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is being tackled by sinking deep boring tube wells within the unit premises.

“We have stopped banking on the government agencies for basic amenities. It’s of no use. And even after agitations by industrialists, it is having no impact on them,” said one of the entrepreneurs of Adityapur, who recently served a notice to the JSEB to withdraw power connection from his unit. He is managing his production with his generator set. There are at least five industrial units at Adityapur and Mango where the industrialists are using generator sets. “Why pay twice for power. It may not be cost effective for us to use generator sets, but at least there will be no disruption in power supply midway. Moreover, the billing problems could be avoided if we do not subscribe power from the JSEB,” said the entrepreneur.

He rued that despite the uproar by the industrialists to improve power supply, nothing significant has come of it. “How can we neglect our business and spend our time rallying for better power supply?” they asked Water supply is equally bad. Although the PHED has hiked water tariff rates at least nine times in the past decade, there has been no improvement. Even the quality of water supplied is “unfit for consumption.”

“As an alternative, entrepreneurs are sinking deep tube wells in their units. In fact in both my units I have sunk deep tube wells as I cannot depend on PHED for water. If my labourers drink water supplied by the PHED they would definitely fall sick,” said the president of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) Nirmal Kabra.

Interestingly some time back Adityapur Industrial Area Development

Authority (AIADA)Äthe nodal

agency for development of industriesÄpurchased a pump for PHED to

ensure proper water supply in

the industrial units.

”It looks like PHED do not have even the funds to buy a pump. But just

see the bills that they are

furnishing. In some cases the amount has already staggered to Rs 10,000

including the arrears,”

remarked the president of Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA)

VP Singh.

Enquiries revealed that most of the 500 odd units at that industrial

area have either made alternate

arrangements for water or in the process of doing it. “We get water just

once a dayÄthere is no fixed

schedule the supplyÄbut that is insufficient. We have no other

alternative but to sink tube wells,” the

former ASIA president SN Thakur commented.

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