Village to be connected under JJM soon: Officials
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 1: For the people living in Hamlapati Rajwar village in north Kashmir’s Handwara, nothing has changed over the decades, especially concerning the availability of potable water as the area continues to lack a proper drinking water facility for the last nearly 40 years.
Situated 12 kilometers away from Handwara, the residents of Hamlapati Rajwar are left with no option but to fetch drinking water from a well which, as per locals, is situated deep in the forest, making it dangerous for the women folk every time they venture out for fetching the water for drinking.
Even though the concerned department is providing the population with drinking water with a help of tankers, the people term the same as not-sufficient while they feel appalled over the lack of response to their problem by the concerned authorities.
“This is interesting to know that even today, our women have been left with no option but to get the water from a well in the forests while there has been no action taken by the concerned department even though we have brought the issue into their notice time and again,” Imran Ahmad, one of the residents said.
By using unclean water, the residents, apart from suffering other hardships, are also facing health issues that are visible from their physique. The hair of the young girls has turned grey, apart from other bodily issues caused due to the consumption of unclean water.
“I guess the area lacks the facility of proper drinking water for the last nearly 50 years and all this time, nothing has been done by the consecutive Governments even as the present LG-led Administration has not taken any note of it,” the locals said.
The other side of the story is that the people living in the area have now been compelled to migrate to different nearby areas where they have the facility of drinking water. “We have not seen anyone from those who were seeking votes from us; they came, got elected, and then disappeared once and for all, and we were left with just hollow promises,” the locals said.
When the issue was brought to the notice of the concerned officials, they said that the village is being provided the drinking water through tankers and that the village will soon be covered under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
“We are aware of the matter there, they are being provided with water tankers; under JJM, the works have been tendered out and the Hamlapati Rajwar will also be covered soon,” Adnan Ahmad, AEE Jal Sakhti Department told Excelsior.
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