A World Bank inspection panel investigation team investigated into complaints made to it by two communities residing on the outskirts of Jamshedpur-Giddhijhopri and Purana Basti against the Chhottagovindpur Bagbera Piped Water Supply Scheme. The investigation team met with communities from Giddhijhopri and Purana Basti, especially the women, to discuss the harmful impacts of the Scheme.
The Majhi of Giddhijhopri’s Santhal Adivasi community, Sukram Kisku, has said that “Construction of Scheme components was undertaken on community cultural land in both the villages without any Gram Sabha resolution. It is not just us claiming this. World Bank loan team has acknowledged this lapse in their reply. In Giddhijhopri, the administration is constructing a water treatment plant under the Scheme on Giddhijhopri Community’s Jaher Sthal and Maddhatti (cremation ground and graveyard). The administration never asked us about the importance of this land for our communities.
A Jaher Sthal is the bedrock of a Santhal community’s existence. It is upsetting that the World Bank management and district administration attacked Adivasi culture and rights for the implementation of this Scheme. We hope that the bank administration makes an effective plan to fix the glaring lapses that came to light as a result of the Inspection Panel process.”
In Purana Basti, the Inspection Panel met with a member of late Karan Chandra Hansda’s family, Ms. Nage Hansda. Karan Chandra Hansda, along with his associates, Chandra Mohan Tudu and Devashish Gowswami, was martyred in the struggle for a separate Jharkhand State. The martyrdom site, erected in their memory in Purana Basti ,was uprooted to build a water tank under the Scheme. Purana Basti community member, Lalsingh Gagrai said that “Our communities are economically weak and cannot afford to pay for drinking water.
The World Bank has admitted in its reply that they failed to finish an environmental assessment for this Scheme. We are concerned that there is a lot of existing pressure on the Subernrekha River because of the diversion of river water by industries and for household supply. Without any environmental assessment, this Scheme will also extract water from the Subernrekha River. This can adversely impact the groundwater table of the area and our local ponds, wells, and lakes.”
Community Advisor, Bineet Mundu laid out that, “The investigating report is likely to be released by October 2019. The injustice meted out to both the communities is clear from the Panel’s initial eligibility report, itself. The bank management has accepted its mistakes, but it has not put forward a constructive way to resolve the community's grievances.”
