SAHARSA/PURNEA, Dec. 17 -- As an example of the ills plaguing a government department, the rural populace has been forced to pay for drinking water despite the Bihar government's claim of providing safe and clean piped drinking water to every household under the Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal (HGNJ) scheme, part of chief minister Nitish Kumar's ambitious Seven Resolves programme.

Residents of Mahishi village in Saharsa district alleged that the piped water supplied to their homes is unfit for consumption, forcing them to depend on bottled or canned water.

"Even doctors advise us not to drink the piped water. As a result, we spend between Rs.600 and Rs.1,000 per month on bottled water, depending on the size of the family," said Pratibha Choudhary, ...