Patna: Over 230 piped water supply schemes under the Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal programme in Patna district have been found non-functional, prompting an urgent response from the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED). The issue came to light during a recent review of the scheme’s progress across panchayats, conducted by the District Magistrate.
Of the 581 schemes initially identified as closed, departmental verification has confirmed that 231 are currently out of service. The PHED has since instructed divisional officers to restore all non-operational schemes and submit functionality reports, co-signed by block development officers, within the next two to three days.
According to officials, 100 of these schemes are affected by minor faults, such as burnt-out motors or pending electricity connections. These are expected to be operational within 48 hours. Another 79 schemes, which require more substantial repairs, are scheduled for restoration within two weeks.
“The tender process has been completed for 53 schemes in previously uncovered areas,” said Vivek Kumar, Executive Engineer of PHED Patna East. “Out of 1,307 schemes in our area, 1,036 are fully functional. Of the remaining 241, only 88 are genuinely closed—25 of these are in newly included areas, and the rest are undergoing repair.”
In Patna West, Executive Engineer Rajesh Kumar reported that 142 schemes are currently non-operational, 28 of which are in left-out areas. “The remaining 114 require various levels of maintenance. About 48 of these need large-scale repair and will take up to two weeks to restore,” he said, adding that work on the rest would be completed within 24 to 48 hours.
