Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 22: Around 900 households in the Gadvail area of Larnoo in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district are grappling with an acute water shortage with officials claiming that the area will be connected to a proper pipeline under the Jal Jeevan Mission within the next 15 days.
Each day, locals must travel long distances to collect water from plastic tanks, which the Jal Shakti Department refills every seven days using water tankers. The water supply line, intended to serve the area, remains incomplete due to delays by the contractor, leaving nearly 900 households without a reliable water source. “The water does not come here. We collect water in plastic tanks which get refilled every ten days. We have to travel two kilometers to get water,” said Bibi, a local resident.
Another resident, Ghulam Qadir Pathan, expressed frustration with the Government’s failed schemes. “The Government started several schemes, but they failed. Currently, a water supply scheme has been initiated at Daksum, but it has not shown any progress,” he said.
Ghulzar Ahmad highlighted the impact on local schools. “The plight is such that water is not available at the local school, forcing students to carry water in plastic bottles. We requested the department to install a water tank in the school so that children do not have to suffer,” he said. He added that a scheme launched in 2008 was supposed to supply water, but the frequency has dwindled from once a month to nothing at all. “The Jal Jeevan Mission pipeline work started but has not progressed so far,” Ahmad said.
Sareer Ahmad Wani, the Executive Engineer of Jal Shakti Department for Anantnag, said that Gadvail is at the tail end of the current water supply scheme, causing shortages during this time of year. “We have other schemes at Gadvail, and within 10-15 days, we will be able to provide them with water,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
