| 2 panchayats get potable water allegedly from ponds, nullahs | | | GS Asgotra
Early Times Report
Jammu, Sept 23: Contrary to the tall claims of Public Health and Engineering Department, Samba, that the intended purpose of the department is to provide sufficient potable water to rural as well as urban areas, the inhabitants of Kandi areas are allegedly forced to drink filthy water of ponds for the last over one year.
Due to non-availability of potable water, a large number of rural hamlets of hilly belt of Samba district including Bagoon, Jeerd, Rayoar, Jatha, Kanair, Nund of Panchayat Kard are compelled to drink contaminated water of Ponds and Nullahs for last one year, whereas villagers of Hunarad, Upper and Lower Sodam and Smotha of the Goran Panchayat are still deprived to getting potable water since last three months.
Ramal Singh of Kaniar told Early Times that they had been getting potable water from Dug well, Chai which is situated in Panchayat Goran. But for long time, due to the obsolete machineries, the dug well has failed to meet current requirement, adding, "We repeatedly apprised the department concerned and Deputy Commissioner, Samba about the scarcity of potable water as well as outdated machineries but all of them gave oral assurances to address their hardships as soon as possible but nothing have been done", he said.
Castigating poor planning of department concerned he further said, "Due to lackadaisical approach of district administrations, the inhabitants of these hilly villages are compelling to drink contaminated water of ponds and nallahs which is dangerous for human beings".
Narrating his miserable condition, he added that last year in month of September, when a week long continuous rain had devastated whole Jammu province, had also ruined our well, which was one of the source of water to the people of Kanair, and then we are approaching to Rural Development Department (RDD) to repair the well under MGNREGA schemes, but so far neither the RDD has repaired the well nor the PHE department had made efforts to provide potable water to the villagers.
Swarn Singh of village Solomu said that three months back, a reputation of Goran Panchayat met Deputy Commissioner regarding scarcity of potable water and she had forwards a communiqué to PHE department for immediately redressal the problem being faced by habitats.
"But after their intervention, we were getting potable water in alternate days nearly till only one week", he said. When contacted, PHE Executive Engineer, Samba Ashwani Kumar Anand said that he was unaware of the issue but assured that he would direct his subordinate officers to visit the area and take proper action to address the demands, after Eid-ul-Azha. |
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