Jamshedpur MLA Sarju Rai has raised serious concerns regarding the water supply at the new Dimna campus of MGM Hospital and Medical College. With increased seating capacity leading to a surge in patient and student numbers, the demand for water has significantly outstripped the current supply. The hospital’s five new deep borewells are proving insufficient to meet the needs of the hospital, college, and residential buildings. The project to supply water from the Subarnarekha River to the hospital is progressing at an alarmingly slow pace. Following discussions with the hospital superintendent and medical college principal, Mr. Rai has concluded that a severe water crisis is imminent by December if immediate measures are not taken. He criticized vested interests and political interference for hindering development projects, stating that such actions lead to the neglect of public health infrastructure, as seen with MGM Hospital. He recalled the premature inauguration of the new building a year ago for political gain, even without adequate water facilities, highlighting how senior health department officials bowed to ministerial pressure rather than advising against unprepared transfers. Rai also pointed out that the previous minister had five deep borewells installed against environmental regulations, a move he and experts warned would be inadequate. Now, as the hospital faces a shortage, he blames officials and politicians who prioritize political expediency over sound development. He further warned that as groundwater levels drop in December, the borewells will become less effective, potentially causing a broader water crisis in surrounding areas and leading to pressure on the district administration to divert drinking water meant for citizens to the hospital. Rai proposed a viable solution: negotiating with Tata Steel management at the secretary level to draw sufficient water for the hospital from the pipeline supplying Jamshedpur from Dimna Lake, and channeling it to the hospital’s dedicated water treatment plant. This, he believes, is the only practical way to ensure a consistent water supply for MGM Hospital.
