Jahangeer Ganaie
Shopian, May 3: Residents of several villages in Shopian district of South Kashmir are facing acute shortage of drinking water for the past several days as few orchardists in the area have damaged PHE pipes in the areas to get water for spraying pesticides.
Locals from Trenz, Mohanpora, Pehlipora, Langandoora, Voterpora, Nangandar and its adjacent areas said that they are without drinking water for past several days as some orchardists have damaged pipes and due to leakage in the pipes not even a single drop reaches to their taps.
They said that some have permanently used PHE pipes to water their hybrid plants thus leaving many villages at God’s mercy.
Gulzar Ahmad, a resident of Trenz Shopian said that PHE employees are working tirelessly in the area but the issue is that they have failed to take action against the orchardists who damage government property for their own benefits.
“If at all we get some water, that is contaminated and contains poisonous pesticides,” he said.
Locals alleged that despite repeated requests to the concerned authorities to take action against the persons who damaged water pipes meant to provide drinking water to the villagers but so far nothing has been done.
They appealed to District Magistrate Shopian and Chief Engineer Jal Shakti (PHE) to direct concerned authorities to take action against the miscreants.
Pertinently, many studies in the recent past have shown positive associations between pesticide exposure and solid tumours. The most consistent associations were found for brain and prostate cancer. An association was also found between kidney cancer in children and their parents’ exposure to pesticide at work.
The cases of cancer in the valley have increased in last decade and use of pesticides are said to be one reason behind it.
Executive Engineer PHE Division Shopian Irfan Ahmad acknowledged that orchardists in the area are damaging pipes to get water for spraying pesticides and watering their orchards.
Ahmad said that he has informed police in this regard several times but so far no action has been taken, however, he added that almost every Shopian resident is involved in such activity.
He assured that action against the persons involved in damaging PHE pipes will be taken and there will be no mercy.
