![The buckets with contaminated water being used by Juthana villagers of Kathua district. -Excelsior/Pardeep The buckets with contaminated water being used by Juthana villagers of Kathua district. -Excelsior/Pardeep](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/page5-6-5.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Aug 7: In this digital age when every urban area having modern basic facilities, the rural areas in Jammu region are still struggling for basic facilities including drinking water.
Among the rural belt of Jammu, the villagers of Juthana in block Barnoti of Kathua district continue to struggle for drinking water as the Jal Shakti Department has failed to solve their problem. The villagers are compelled to take contaminated water in these rainy days there by putting their lives to grave risk.
Due to the non -functioning of the well in the village Juthana, the villagers are compelled to drink contaminated water as they have no option left other than this dug by Rural Development Department three years back.
Nasib Singh and Rattan Chand the villagers said that they have no other arrangement of drinking water except this well which has not been completed and the work was abandoned by the Department.
The villagers said in rainy season muddy water falls in well which is leaking at various points and water in the well gets contaminated. The finishing work of the well has not been done and platform has not been raised so far by the Department for reasons best known to it, the added.
The Juthana Lower village has no road to walk and stony tractor road is in worse condition making life of villagers a total hell. They said even Government as well as representatives of Panchyats including the DDC, BDC, Sarpanches did not pay attention to construct a pacca road in the village. This village has totally been ignored in development scenario despite the tall claims made by the Government, they added.
The Block Development Officer, Barnoti, Sahil Abrol said that in the year 2021-22 construction of village well was started with sanctioned cost of Rs 64,000 and Rs 58000 were spent. The remaining finishing works is pending and a proposal sent for sanctioned of funds to complete the pending works. The works will be executed this year so that villagers may get safe drinking water.