Faulty laying of underground water supply pipes in densely populated Parsudih and its adjoining areas is likely to further delay the commissioning of the Bagbera-Chota Govindpur drinking water project.

At several places in Parsudih, the top layer of the road has scraped off to expose the pipelines that are being damaged by coming under the wheels of vehicles.

The foundation stone for the Rs 200-crore drinking water project was laid by chief minister Raghubar Das on April 18, 2015.

While work is still underway in Bagbera, work in Chota Govindpur is almost complete and a trial run is being conducted.

The service pipes that connect the households with the main pipeline have been laid in such a manner that they are now lying exposed on roads.

Sudhir Bose, a resident of Pramothnagar, said, “I was very pleased when I learnt that the government is going to provide us tap water soon. But the way the project is being executed, I doubt whether the drinking water will actually reach the households, including mine.”

Bose, who is a businessman, expressed concern whether the pipes, which were laid a month ago, would actually be of any use now.

Shushil Agrawal, another Parsudih resident, expressed a similar view.

“A month ago, the contractor dug up the roads to lay pipelines. But they were not covered properly. Apparently, most of the pipes have been damaged by vehicles,” Agrawal told this correspondent.

Shishir Kumar Soren, executive engineer of Jamshedpur division of the sanitation and drinking water department, said the executing agency was supposed to dig up the roads to lay pipes and repair them after completing work.

“We have laid 174km of pipes to supply drinking water to 25,000 households under the project, but are not aware of any pipe being exposed or damaged,” Soren said.

The executive engineer said the contractor concerned was supposed to lay the main pipeline by digging 1 metre deep while the service pipelines should have been laid at least one feet below the surface.

“If the pipes are peeking out, it’s a serious issue. We will inspect the areas covered by the drinking water project and get the damaged pipes repaired,” Soren added.