Make enquiry report public: Panchpora residents
Seek fulfillment of promises made by admin
Anantnag: Residents of Panchpora Anantnag in south Kashmir on Friday staged a protest demanding construction of a boundary wall to cover a deep dug well that has been left abandoned for years. The protestors also demanded ‘whereabouts’ of an enquiry report after a boy died after falling into the well.
Pertinently, on 26 October last year, a 4 year old boy died after he drowned in the well while he has playing near the road.
Soon after the incident the then district Magistrate Anantnag constituted an enquiry team headed by SDM Bijbehara and asked him to submit a detailed report within 10 days.
Locals said that since then over five months have passed but there are no whereabouts of the enquiry report.
“The deep well was dug three decades back and was left unattended by the authorities,” they said adding that the well was dug by the Geology and Mining department for purpose of providing drinking water facility to the area, however, on testing the water it was found contaminated and not fit for human consumption,” the locals said.
“As they found water contaminated, it was left unattended and since then this well has became a death trap for the local residents and cattle,” they added.
Mohammad Ibrahim, a local said that the well is very close to the main road and two schools due to which it can prove very dangerous anytime.
“We have brought this issue into the notice of authorities several times but nothing has been done to redress our grievance,” he added.
Meanwhile, the locals said that action must be taken against the Geology and Mining department, water shed management and RDD department for failing to construct a protection wall around the well since the last 30 years.
They demanded that authorities must make public the enquiry report and action must be taken against the officials involved in negligence besides that protection wall must be constructed around the well at an earliest.
SDM Bijbehara Jahangir Ahmad Khanday, when contacted said that he has submitted his enquiry report on time besides that he has mentioned the measures needed to be taken to avoid tragic accident near the well.
Jahangeer Ganaie
