Jharkhand News : Ahead of the summer season, the Jharkhand government has accelerated efforts to repair faulty hand pumps across the state. Drinking Water and Sanitation Minister Yogendra Prasad informed the Assembly that repairs of 16,061 defective hand pumps have been completed in the past two months, and all remaining faulty units will be fixed before peak summer.
Responding to a short-notice question by MLA Uday Shankar Singh, the minister said a toll-free helpline number has been issued for complaints related to hand pumps. Any grievance received will be acted upon promptly, he assured. Assembly Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato also expressed concern over the condition of hand pumps as temperatures begin to rise.
Deoghar Urban Water Supply Project Extended till March 31
Urban Development Minister Sudivya Kumar said the Deoghar urban water supply project—bringing drinking water from the Punasi reservoir to Deoghar city—has been granted an interim extension till March 31. The project, originally due in July 2023, faced delays due to pending forest clearances for constructing the water treatment plant and ground-level service reservoirs. Stage-I clearance and work permission were granted in December 2025, enabling progress. The extension order was issued on January 12.
21 New Motor Vehicle Inspector Posts Created
Transport Minister Deepak Birua told the House that appointments against 40 recommended candidates for Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) posts have been completed out of 46 vacancies earlier requisitioned to the JSSC. Additionally, 21 new MVI posts were created on January 16, and the requisition for these has also been sent, in response to a query by MLA Chandradev Mahato.
The government reiterated its commitment to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply and strengthen transport enforcement ahead of the summer months.
