Chakoora residents demand urgent completion of long-pending water supply scheme
Villagers face acute water shortage despite project sanctioned in 2019
Pulwama: The rsidents of Chakoora village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district are grappling with persistent water woes due to the incomplete status of the Water Supply Scheme (WSS) Sanzen Chakoora, locals alleged Wednesday.
Despite being sanctioned over five years ago under the Lingushing Project (LUP2402) at an estimated cost of Rs 274.67 lakhs, the scheme remains non-functional, causing severe distress among the local population.
The villagers allege that while a major portion of the project was completed, the crucial pipe-laying and distribution components have been inexplicably halted, leaving the scheme in limbo.
With the old water supply system in Chakoora also defunct and incapable of meeting the current needs, the community is facing an acute shortage of clean and safe drinking water.
“We are in a desperate situation. The WSS Sanzen Chakoora was our only hope, but even after years, we are yet to see water flowing through the taps,” said Abdul Rashid, a local resident. “Our repeated pleas to the concerned departments have fallen on deaf ears. No one is taking responsibility for the delay.”
According to villagers, the delay is not only affecting daily life but also exposing residents, especially women and children, to health risks due to reliance on unclean water sources.
Another resident, Shameema Bano, lamented, “We are forced to fetch water from unsafe sources, sometimes from kilometers away. This is not just an inconvenience but a serious health concern. We urge the authorities to act without further delay.”
The residents have appealed to the higher authorities, including the Jal Shakti Department and the district administration, to intervene and ensure the immediate resumption of work and early commissioning of the project. They have also sought accountability from officials for the prolonged delay in execution.
“Timely action on this long-pending issue would provide immense relief to hundreds of households in Chakoora and surrounding hamlets. We request the government to prioritize this matter before the crisis deepens,” the villagers said.
Locals said the project, if completed, could drastically improve their quality of life by providing a stable and hygienic water supply system.
They requested authorities to promptly look into their concerns and complete the project at an earliest so that locals won’t suffer anymore.
