Shimla, Feb 14,
Frustrated over a severe water crisis, residents of Theog suburbs stormed the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office, demanding the immediate resumption of drinking water supply. The protesters, who have been without water for the past 15 to 20 days, gathered inside the SDM office from 12 PM, raising slogans against the administration and the Jal Shakti Department. A heavy police presence was deployed to maintain order.
Support Independent Journalism Complete Your Membership
Choose Your Membership
Mahendra Verma, leader of the Theog Struggle Committee, stated that residents had repeatedly warned officials about the water shortage, but no action was taken. He also pointed out that during the protest, no engineer from the Jal Shakti Department was present to address their concerns.
Several villages, including Devrighat, Sarivan, Sandhu, Jais, Kamah, and Bagain, are among the worst affected. Despite numerous complaints, authorities have failed to resolve the issue, leaving residents struggling for a basic necessity like drinking water.
During the protest, demonstrators also demanded the arrest of officials involved in a ₹2 crore water supply scam. Allegations have surfaced that water meant for public distribution was illegally transported using motorcycles and private cars such as Alto and Honda City. Despite these revelations, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered against any official, further fueling public outrage.
Protesters accused the state government of neglecting their concerns and, instead of ensuring a proper water supply, registering FIRs against them. This, they claimed, highlights the administration’s apathy towards rural residents.
Theog has been in the spotlight in recent days following the exposure of a water tanker scam. In response, the government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the matter.
–
