Saqib Junaid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 22: Despite the Centre's nod and disbursement of funds for their on time execution, more than 2,500 water supply schemes still await completion in J&K.
The funds were allotted by the union ministry for drinking water and sanitation last year, according to official sources.
As many as 2511 water supply schemes, that were to be set up under the central government's National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), had reported no physical progress during the last fiscal in the state thus deepening the water crisis in the notified areas, the sources added.
As per the data, 934 water supply schemes in Kashmir division and 1,566 in Jammu division were yet to be completed, mainly due to the alleged administrative inertia in the state. Baramulla has the highest number of 173 water supply schemes in Kashmir that were yet to be made functional. Kupwara and Bandipora districts have as many as 109 and 89 non-functional schemes. Anantnag, Shopian and Kulgam districts have 156, 90 and 101 non-functional water supply schemes respectively. No progress was allegedly made on them last year. As per the ministry for drinking water and sanitation, Srinagar district has 98 and Budgam and Ganderbal districts have 111 and 73 defunct water supply schemes.
In Jammu division, while Jammu district has the highest number of 294 defunct water supply schemes, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar, Kathua, Samba have 168, 89, 99 and 72 respectively.
In Leh and Kargil, almost 149 water supply schemes had not reported any physical progress on them during the last fiscal, sources alleged. If sources are to be believed, PHE department has taken up thousands of water supply schemes for execution in the state during the past one decade. However, majority of them were non-functional either due to the lack of funds or due to some technical reasons.
Due to the non-functioning of these schemes, people of far-flung areas of Handwara, Uri, Kulgam and Gurez were the worst affected. "In some areas, water is being supplied through water tanks, but in others people fetch water from streams and rivers," sources alleged.
When contacted, a senior PHE official refused to comment over the delay in the completion of these water supply schemes.
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