Over 2,000 residents of Bagbera held rallies on Saturday to drum up support for the mega Rs 237-crore Chotagovindpur-Bagbera drinking water project ahead of a World Bank team visit to gauge the ongoing controversy over land acquisition.

“We presented our stand and status report of the project before the World Bank team in Delhi on Thursday. They will be arriving either on Saturday or Sunday to meet those who had lodged a protest over the construction of a water treatment plant in tribal land. We will also hold a meeting with East Singhbhum deputy commissioner Amit Kumar and officials of the drinking water and sanitation department (DWSD) on December 17,” said the department’s executive engineer of Jamshedpur Shishir Kumar Soren.

The foundation stone for the Chotagovindpur-Bagbera drin-king water project was laid by chief minister Raghubar Das on April 18, 2015. it was to be completed by the end of 2017. However, after delays over la-nd acquisition issues, the deadline was extended to end of 2018.

While World Bank is funding 50 per cent of the project cost, the Centre will give 33 per cent and the state 16 per cent. Local residents will take care of the remaining one per cent.

Once ready, it will benefit nearly 1.19 lakh residents of Chhotagovindpur and around 1.25 lakh residents of Bagbera.

Two water treatment plants (WTP)_ one of 46 million litre daily capacity at Giddi Jhopri in Ghaghidih (for Bagbera) and the other of 37 million litre daily capacity near Telco (for Chota Govindpur) - are under construction. Apart from these, 10 water towers (five each in Bagbera and Chota Govindpur) are also part of the project, which will see two intake wells on Subernarekha river, one at Domuhani (for Bagbera) and another at Luabasa (for Chota Govindpur).

However, around 100 families of Giddi Jhopri led by gram pradhan Sukhram Kisku have been claiming that the land was acquired for the water treatment plant in 2016 without their consent. They have lodged a complaint with the World Bank.

“The World Bank team will be visiting the site of the treatment plant to assess the ground reality and then meet us on December 17. The administration has completed all necessary protocols for land acquisition which will be presented before the World Bank team,” said deputy commissioner Kumar.

Local residents, led by zilla parishad member from Bagbera Kishore Yadav with BJP leader and convenor of Bagbera Mahanagar Vikash Samity Subodh Jha, who has been demanding early completion of the project, have decided to take out rallies to impress upon the visiting World Bank team that the people were in support of the project.

“We need the project. It cannot be derailed by vested interests. The Chotagovindpur end of the project is nearing completion and we would like the Bagbera project to be completed at the earliest so that we can get water before summer next year,” said Jha, adding that they held rallies near Tatanagar station road and on approach roads to Giddi Jhopri and Ghaghidih.