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| Awaiting completion of supply schemes, Kashmir faces water shortage | | | Ishtiyaq Ahmad
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 18: Awaiting completion of water supply schemes, various parts of Kashmir are facing acute shortage of water for quite some time.
Some parts of Srinagar are worst affected since Saturday as the taps are running dry.
Hundreds of villages continue to face shortage of drinking water as the government has failed to complete water supply schemes due to lack of funding.
"Our area is without tap water for the last few days. We brought into the notice of concerned officials many a days but nobody is paying heed to our repeated pleas," the residents of Abi Guzar, in the heart of Srinagar said.
"We are forced to consume contaminated water that is being fetched from contaminated sources from other areas amid restrictions," they said.
Similar complaints are pouring from Dalgate that there was an acute shortage of potable water. "Our women folk have to fetch water from a long distance," a local resident of Dalgate Ghulam Mohammad said.
Residents of Barbar Shah also complained of water shortage. "We are facing a tough time due to water shortage," said a group of aggrieved residents from these area.
Similar complaints are pouring in from various parts of south and north Kashmir where people said they are forced to fetch water from streams and consume contaminated water.
An official of the Public Health Engineering Department said that had the government completed the water supply schemes, there would not have been shortage of tap water.
"A water supply scheme was started over 5-years-ago, which has not been completed so far. We fetch water from a stream for drinking purposes," Ghulam Mohammad, a resident of Drugmulla Kupwara, said
Atleast 173 were allotted for Baramulla, Anantnag 156, Budgam 111, Kupwara 109, Kulgam 101, Shopian 90, Srinagar 98, Bandipora 89, and Ganderbal 73. Similarly, 294 schemes were sanctioned for Jammu district, 168 for Rajouri, Poonch 89, Kishtwar 99, Kathua and Samba 72 each. While for Leh and Kargil distrcts of Ladakh region, 149 schemes were allotted.
However, work has been halted on at least 1600 schemes due to lack of funds. "Contractors have stopped work on these schemes after government failed to clear their bills," an official of the Public Health Engineering Department, said.
The official said that state was receiving over Rs 500 crore per annum under National Rural Development Water Programme till 2014.
"Since then, there has been decline in the centre's funding," the official said. During 2016-17, the centre released around Rs 230 crore under NRDWP, creating impediments in completion of schemes.
The official said that incumbent government is blaming the previous regime (NC, Congress) for starting these schemes without adequate funds.
The official said that state government has failed to arrange funds from own resources. "The issue has been raised with the centre for one time funding for completion of these pending schemes," the official added. |
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