Source water ‘diverted’ by authorities, canals in Tral areas turning into dumping sites
Pulwama: With authorities allegedly diverting the source water to them, at least six canals flowing through many villages of Tral have dried up and are instead being used by locals for dumping garbage.
Residents of Dadsara and its adjacent areas in Tral alleged that the local Irrigation Department “has diverted all the source water of these canals at Batgund Tral due to which there is no water in these canals and locals are putting garbage into them”.
Syed Asfar, a local resident said that the condition of almost every canal was the same in the area.
“And this is because that these canals do not get water consistently and have turned into dumping sites,” he added.
Locals also said that the canals had not been cleaned for years now as the authorities “have turned a blind eye towards them”.
“With the increase in temperature, the situation will turn worse in the area as the garbage dumped in the canals has started to release foul smell and it may cause diseases as well,” a local said.
Mohammad Ashraf, a local rued the “pathetic condition” of the canals in the area and said that the concerned department needs to find a solution to keep these canals clean.
“One can easily spot people throwing garbage into them during morning and evening time, but nobody cares to stop them,” he said.
He demanded “stringent action” against the people throwing garbage into the canal.
Locals also alleged that banks of canals at many places had been encroached.
They asked the concerned department to take strict against the encroachers.
The locals requested the authorities to clean the canals rather than diverting water that feeds them.
Executive Engineer Irrigation Division, Tral, Nisar Ahmad Kar said that the water level of the rivulet which fed the canals was low due to which they are not able to divert water towards them.
Asking locals to “themselves” clean the canals, Kar said that he will talk to “other departments to help them in cleaning these canals as our own department has no funds available at the moment”.
“I will send a team of officials there who will check where it has been encroached and strict action will be taken against encroachers,” he added.
Jahangeer Ganaie
