Who is IAS Ghazal Bharadwaj? Mahoba DM Responds Amid Controversy Over Jal Jeevan Mission Works

Mahoba: Amid rising controversy over alleged irregularities in Jal Jeevan Mission projects in Mahoba district, District Magistrate (DM) Ghazal Bharadwaj has clarified the administration’s position and provided detailed updates on the mission’s progress.

The issue escalated after BJP MLA Brijbhushan Rajput raised concerns over the state of the Har Ghar Nal (tap water) scheme. The MLA reportedly stopped the convoy of Water Resources Minister Swatantradev Singh to highlight the alleged shortcomings. Following the incident, the minister and MLA met with officials at the district collectorate, where the matter was addressed.

DM Provides Mission Details
DM Ghazal Bharadwaj outlined that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the administration had planned to lay pipelines in 344 villages, covering a total of 3,224 kilometers. So far, 3,205 kilometers of pipelines have been successfully installed, providing piped water connectivity to 1,12,032 households.

She added that pipeline installation caused damage to approximately 1,131 kilometers of roads across the district. Of these, 1,118 kilometers have been restored, with verification conducted by district officials.

In Charkhari, where 717 kilometers of roads were damaged during pipeline laying, 706 kilometers have been restored, and the remaining 12 kilometers are being completed rapidly. Third-party verification of restoration work has been carried out by the organization Sensus.

A meeting of village heads regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission was also held at the collectorate, where DM Bharadwaj confirmed that road restoration work has largely been completed, with only minor patches remaining. Contractors have been instructed to finish the remaining work promptly.

About IAS Ghazal Bharadwaj
Ghazal Bharadwaj is a 2016-batch IAS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, having secured 40th rank in the UPSC 2015 exam. Originally from Roorkee, Uttarakhand, she holds a B.Tech in Civil Engineering from GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar. Before her current posting in Mahoba, she served as CDO in Rampur and Gonda, Municipal Commissioner in Saharanpur, and Joint Magistrate in Lalitpur. She has consistently focused on ensuring that government schemes reach citizens effectively.