Irrigation canal turns into dumping site in south Kashmir
Shopian: An irrigation canal passing through Darbagh (Shopian district) and ZahidBagh (Pulwama district) has been turned into the dumping site and authorities are unmoved, locals of the area have alleged.
They said that after 2014 floods a siphon bridge through which the water was reaching to agricultural fields got damaged and since then the canal is running dry as no water is able to be run through the canal.
In May 2020, a pipeline was laid to divert water of the canal to river Ranbiara, however, the pipes were so narrow that just few drops of water was able to pass through these pipes and it worked for just few days, they said.
The stagnant water and water of bathrooms thrown into the canal is creating lot of problems for passersby and there is no intervention from concerned authorities, said Yasir Ahmad, a local resident.
He added that heaps of polythene, plastic, paper and other medical wastes are being dumped inside the canal and no step is being taken to ensure any cleanliness.
The locals claimed that they had informed the concerned authorities several times but they failed to do anything substantial in this regard.
They said that last year part of the canal was cleared but major portion was left out and foul smell coming out of the canal has made life miserable for the people.
The heaps of garbage and stagnant water poses a threat of communicable disease, said Mohammad Jabbar, another local.
He added that some locals have been dumping their waste products in this canal and it has been turned into a dumping site.
The locals requested higher ups to look into the matter so that they can heave a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, an official said that civic sense is missing everywhere as people have been throwing waste into water bodies and blaming the authorities for everything.
He assured that the canal will be cleaned soon while requesting people not to through waste material in the canal as it will have hazardous results.
