Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Sept 8: People in Dukalbal Wadoora Bala village in the Sopore area of Baramulla district in north Kashmir alleged that the Jal Shaki Department has failed to provide drinking water to the area for years, forcing them to drink contaminated water from a nearby pond.
Residents claim that they have not had piped water since 1947, forcing them to drink water from a nearby pond that is unsafe to drink. They said that a locality of about 300 people in the village lacks access to drinking water because of the failure of successive Governments to address the issue. “We have approached the concerned department many times, but all they have done is promise us and do nothing on the ground,” locals said.
Residents said that contaminated water is putting them at risk of contracting a waterborne disease during the pandemic. “Waterborne diseases like jaundice and hepatitis are common here, but we cannot afford them during this pandemic when even going to the hospital puts you at risk,” Bashir Ahmad, a resident, said.
According to the women who are the most affected, no one has bothered to solve their problems for over 40 years. “During campaigns, politicians make promises that they never keep. We spent a lot of our time fetching water from a pond. Even our small children waste energy arranging water,” an elderly woman said, adding that they had approached many officials and local politicians about providing drinking water to their community, but to no avail.
While acknowledging that the village has drinking water problems, a PHE official said that tenders for the installation of water pipes in the area would be issued soon. “The area has been experiencing a water crisis for a long time, and we have recently surveyed the village. We will issue soon the tenders,” he said.
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