Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Sept 29: Several areas of Shopain district in South Kashmir are facing water shortage because the Jal Shakti department has failed to complete three key water supply schemes, although work on the projects have been ongoing for several years.
Work on these water supply schemes in South Kashmir’s Kashev, Manihal, and Durpora areas has been stalled for years, with residents accusing the Jal Shakti department of abandoning the project. Locals said that the project has the potential to improve water supply in several areas, but that official indifference has hampered the efforts.
The government started building a water supply scheme in Kashev village eight years ago. Initially the construction went smoothly and major works were completed in the early years, the scheme was never used. “The overhead tank and some of the completed rooms have been abandoned by the department. The structure has already suffered some weather-related damage,” Javeed Ahmad, a local said.
Locals said they had even donated land to the project, hoping to receive clean water, but the project has proven to be useless. They said the department had squandered not only public funds but also their land.
Another water supply scheme, which was supposed to serve nearly 550 people in Manihal, Batpora, and Chottipora villages, has also failed. According to residents, they approved the water supply scheme for the area around 2015 during the BJP-PDP coalition government, but work came to a halt in 2019 for unknown reasons.
“When we inquired about the reason for the work stoppage, we were told that there were no funds available. I would like to know how the government approves projects when there are not enough funds,” Bashir Ahmad, a local said, adding that they have raised the issue with authorities several times, but to no avail.
Residents of Durpora, where over 200 households are without drinking water because work on a water supply scheme that authorities have approved is yet to begin, expressed similar concerns. “Government has approved a water supply scheme for the area, but work is yet to begin,” Sartaj Ahmad said.
Chief Engineer Jal Shaki Department, Iftikhar Wani, did not respond to multiple phone calls from this reporter.
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