Villagers compelled to drink contaminated water
Sajid Raina
Bandipora, Dec 09 (KNO): Even after passing of more than ten years, the ambitious water supply scheme (WSS)—Ashtangou is yet to be completed forcing people to fetch contaminated water from a nearby stream in absence of proper water supply in the area.
Locals told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the construction of the water supply scheme in Ashtangoou was started in 2010 by Jal-Shakti division Bandipora but the scheme is yet to be completed due to which people are facing difficulties.
The locals said that they are forced to consume contaminated water directly from a the nearby canal as the village doesn’t have any provision of potable water.
They said that the scheme was to benefit around 500 households of the villages including Badiyara, Kanbethi, Ghat and Ashtangoou but the villagers have been left high and dry as the scheme is yet to be completed despite the passing of more than 10 years.
“We are being forced to fetch dirty water from a nearby stream because there is no proper water supply in the area,” the locals said, adding that despite repeated attempts to district administration nothing positive happened on the ground.
The villagers alleged that a narrow pipeline was laid in the area that can’t pump water from the source to the end-user.
“It seems that the pipeline was laid just to draw money from state exchequer and hoodwink the higher authorities,” they said.
The locals also said that Jal-Shakti department has left them on God’s mercy.
The villagers earlier also registered a protested against the concerned Department and demanded a probe into the alleged misappropriation of funds, meant for providing water supply to the inhabitants.
The villagers also appealed the concerned authorities to pay attention to the area and restore the water supply without further delay.
They also demand stern action against the officials who are involved in the failure of the scheme after using fund worth crores from time to time—(KNO)
