Jahangeer Ganaie

This Shopian village has no potable water

This Shopian village has no potable water
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Shopian: Kumdalan village barely 10 kms from main town Shopian is yet to get drinking water facility with locals being forced to consume contaminated water of a local canal.
The village comprises of over 300 households.
Locals from the village alleged that the government had “ignored the area completely and left it without any drinking water facility”.
They said they have to consume water from surrounding streams and wells which can be dangerous in times of increased pollution and pose a serious threat to their health and well being.
The residents blamed the local politicians, who they said, “visit t area only during elections for the sake of votes”.
“As soon as the election ends, they disappear,” a local alleged.
“They seek votes from us at the times of elections promising to provide basic amenities in the area but betray us later,” he added.
The locals complained that although they had approached the authorities many times and received assurance of getting the water supply soon “but no step has been taken by them in this matter so far”.
“The government claims the people are being provided all basic facilities on modern lines, but we don’t even have drinking water facility,” Nawaz Ahmad, a local.
He said they were forced to fetch water from a local canal adding “some people bring even fetch water from other villages. It is an embarrassment”.
Locals, especially children, he said, often suffer from gastrointestinal problems by consuming the contaminated water.
Executive Engineer PHE Division Shopian, Mohammad Aslam Zargar said that a water supply scheme for the area had been approved under NABARD and work on scheme will start very soon.
“We are hopeful that area will get drinking water facility till ending 2019,” Zargar said.


Jahangeer Ganaie

Jahangeer Ganaie is a reporter and covers regional news and can be contacted [email protected]

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