Exploring options to address issue: Officials
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 26: Even as authorities make efforts to ensure piped water connections reach far-flung areas, the residents of Dargam village in Pattan, North Kashmir’s Baramulla district, have been struggling for drinking water for several years.
Residents told Excelsior that they have had a pipeline laid from the spring of Shah Sahib Shrine before 1994 when there were only 50 households in the village.
However, they note that since then, the population has increased, and the existing pipeline has proven inadequate to meet the drinking water needs of the residents.
“As of now, there are nearly 120 households relying on the existing pipeline, and with the increase in the number of households, people are facing difficulties in obtaining their share of drinking water,” said one resident, Ghulam Hassan.
Residents further explained that the situation has reached a point where one area must close its taps for another area to receive drinking water.
“We have a Jamia Masjid as well as a Darsgah here, but even they do not receive water supply; people are unable to perform ablutions, and the same is true for the children at Darsgah,” said another resident, Abdul Aziz Wani.
Notably, despite reaching out to the concerned department multiple times seeking a resolution to their longstanding issue, residents said, they have received no response.
“One of the officials, an Executive Engineer in the department, promised to visit the area and assess what needs to be done last year. However, since then, his visit has not materialized. The local Youth Committee also submitted an application to the DDC Chairperson a year ago, but nothing has changed since then.”
With the total length of the existing pipeline being just half a kilometer, locals believe that the water easily flows down from the spring to the village and does not require significant changes to provide seamless and adequate drinking water to residents.
“The existing pipeline, which is 2 inches, has witnessed a decrease in carrying capacity over time due to rusting, resulting in a further decrease in the amount of drinking water we receive,” explained another elderly resident, Ghulam Hassan Parray.
The Executive Engineer, PHE Jal Shakti Division, Baramulla, Er Aijaz Ahmad Buttoo told Excelsior that they are exploring options to address the village’s issue, noting that a borewell has already been set up under the JJM, but it has not provided the required discharge as per the guidelines.
“For the spring which is there, we have to calculate the discharge before putting it to use; we are exploring options; there is also a stream known as Gundari Nallah, but if we lift the water from there, then we will have to change the entire DPR, which will triple the actual cost; by March 15, we might see some developments in this regard,” he said.
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