13 years on, vital water supply scheme in Pulwama yet to be made functional
Pulwama: Even after a lapse of around 13 years since a water supply scheme was completed in Trichal locality of Pulwama district the Jal Shakti Department has failed to resolve the issues with the land donors.
Locals from Trichal village said that they have been facing paucity of the water since long and were hopeful that the water supply scheme will end their miseries but authorities have failed to made it functional.
After repeated requests to the government, the department sanctioned a water supply scheme around twenty years back and the scheme was completed in year 2010, they said.
Since last 13 years the scheme is lying defunct as department has failed to convince the land donor who has been demanding jobs against the land donated by them for establishing the water supply scheme, they said.
Ifroz Ahmad, a local resident said that most of the villagers have been getting water from the already functional old scheme but there are around 30-40 households who have been living without a proper drinking water facility.
He said that the scheme will cater to around 1000 households but despite spending crores on it, as of now it has failed to give any relief to locals.
Locals said that as machines worth lakhs have been already installed in the scheme but since 13 years, they haven’t been put to use and they may have developed some technical issues as well.
“It seems till the issue between donors and the department will be solved, all machines will get defunct,” they said.
They demanded attention of higher ups in this regard so that machines won’t get damaged and locals will also heave a sigh of relief.
Riyaz Ahmad Thoker, a local resident has donated one canal property land to get employment but according to him the department has failed in fulfilling the job promise and he will continue to resist the operationalization of the scheme till the department fulfills its promise.
Meanwhile, an official of the concerned department said that they are ready to provide him the compensation but his case doesn’t fall in those of land donors whose case can be considered in SRO-520.
He said that efforts are on to convince him so that scheme can be made functional.
Jahangeer Ganaie
