Drinking Water Scarcity Prompts Protests in Patna
Patna: April 30, 2008
 Hundreds of members of the All India Domestic Help Association in Patna on Wednesday took to the streets to protest against drinking water scarcity in the state capital saying the Chief Minister had failed to keep the promises that he made during the last Assembly elections and must be held accountable for that.
"If this is the definition of good governance by Nitish Kumar, then we don't want him as our Chief Minister," said the outfit's national president Akhtar Nehal.
 Carrying empty pitchers in their hands and heads, women protestors said the entire city was struggling for drinking water; men, women, and children had to walk long distance to a tube well and stand in line for hours to get a pitcher of water while politicians and other VIPs were comfortably ensconced in their air-conditioned chambers with no dearth of drinking water.
The association secretary Saroj Sinha said the Chief Minister had lost the moral ground to remain in power and if he had any decency left in him, he should resign from his position immediately.
 With temperature in Patna hovering in the mid-40s situation further worsened on Wednesday when four pumps of the Patna Water Board burnt due to poor maintenance effectively shutting down drinking water supply in many areas.
Situation was especially precarious in Rajendra Nagar, Gardanibagh, Kadam Kuan, Arya Kumar Road, Sabzi Bagh, and Kankarbagh where people were lining up at public tube wells to get a pitcher of drinking water.
Despite repeated calls to the Water Board authorities, till late evening there was no help in sight justifiably triggering the wrath of the citizens who demanded resignation of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on moral grounds.
In Sabzi Bagh, fed up with the water scarcity in their area, angry residents burnt the effigy of Patna Mayor and also demanded sacking of the Chief Minister while asking him to stop the ‘janata durbar’ drama at his residence calling it a drama that was intended to mislead the people.
“They always have some excuse for their failure. This government is surviving on false promises and excuses and it would be extremely hard for me to vote for the NDA in the next state elections,” said Riyaz Ahmed of Sabzi Bagh.
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