Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Mar 22: As the universe celebrates World Water Day every year on March 22, which serves to accelerate the change to solve the water and sanitation crisis. However, Sopore’s Hygam village has been facing the water crisis for the last several years, with the officials at Jal Shakhti stating that the matter would be resolved soon.
The residents of Rather Mohalla, Hygam, said that they have been facing acute shortage of drinking water supply for the past several years, however the concerned department is least bothered about their genuine demand.
They said, that ‘Har Ghar Nal Sy Jal’ claim of government has fallen flat as they have been suffering due to the scarcity of drinking water supply for at least two years. “We are being forced to fetch water and drink contaminated water which is unhygienic and health hazardous for us”, they added.
“We are facing an acute shortage of drinking water supply. The authorities have turned a deaf ear towards our repeated pleas. They are making no effort to ease our difficulties,” Ghulam Qadir, a local resident said.
Instead of wasting the public money on unnecessary projects, the administration should focus on providing safe drinking water to people, especially in this area who have been forced to drink the filthy water from well, Qadir said.
The locals alleged, that the department has never upgraded the already laid water supply pipes, which as per them is the reason of water scarcity in the area. They also alleged, that the pipes are lying at Panjipur village which are of no use there, instead of keeping them there, the department should make use of them to this particular area to end the crisis.
Meanwhile, an official at Jal Shakhti (PHE) Department, Sopore when contacted said that the locality is facing issues because the pipes are yet to be upgraded. However, the official said that the issue would be resolved soon as they have kept it under the consideration project.
