Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar July 3 : The damage to the water pump station in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district has affected over four villages resulting in the scarcity of irrigation water.
Farmers of Quasibagh, Badibagh, Hakripora, and Hassanwani said that the damaged pump station is located on stream in Hakripora and is the only source of irrigation to their paddy fields.
They said disruptions in the irrigation has hit this season’s crop. “The pump station is completely damaged and the officials are paying no heed to repair it. We made repeated visits to higher officials for its repair, but our grievance was ignored. The water from this station is our only source of irrigation to our paddy fields. Due to scarcity of water, our land has become infertile. We have been left to fend for ourselves,” said a farmer, Mohammad Shaban from Kowsibagh village.
The farmers accuse officials of deliberately delaying the repair. They said that their land will become barren without irrigation facilities. “We request the administration to immediately repair the pump station to relieve our miseries. Our livelihood is dependent upon paddy fields. If it is affected, we will lose our source of income,” another farmer Mohammad Ashraf from Kowsibagh
Executive Engineer of the Mechanical Division of Awantipora, Harpindr Singh told Excelsior that they are working on it on war-footing basis to restore the pump station. “We will install a new motor to restart the station. It will take over 5 days to make it functional,” he said.
Singh said that he is monitoring the work on the station himself and will make sure it is estarted as soon as possible.
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