Jahangeer Ganaie
Bijbehara, Aug 10: The residents of Nambal area in Mattan hamlet of South Kashmir’s Anantnag district are facing shortage of drinking water from last several years.
Residents of the area said that they are just getting few drops of water on daily basis which isn’t enough for them and yet no attention is given by the administration to resolve their issue.
The inhabitants of Nambal said that the initial pipeline was laid before four decades which is rusty and has leakage as well due to which water isn’t reaching them.
“When pipeline was laid, since then population has increased by almost three times but pipes are same which isn’t able to cater our needs,” a local said.
Another local resident Prabhoo Singha said that as the supply is hardly for one hour, “we are forced to fetch water from the same contaminated spring which is around half a kilometre from the locality due to which they are facing lot of problems.”
He added that they are forced to drink contaminated water as authorities continue to remain in slumber. The locals said that in 2019, they apprised the then deputy commissioner regarding the issue who later sanctioned Rs 2.5 lakh for laying new water pipeline, however, the same amount got lapsed as the concerned department failed to take up the work.
“Deputy Commissioner was again contacted who directed SE PHE after which SE sought explanation from concerned officials whose reply was based on a hoax,” a group of locals said. An official of the Jal Shakti department acknowledged that due to rusty pipes there is water shortage in the area and very soon the area will get 24×7 potable water supply as a project for the same is expected to get approval very shortly.
Asked why Rs 2.5 lakh got lapsed, he said that amount got approved in last week of March and it wasn’t possible to cover whole area within few days.
