Early Times Report
Rajouri, June 10: Defunct Water Supply Schemes, inadequate infrastructure, mismanagement, casual approach of PHE officials are among many reasons that have been forcing the inhabitants of Rajouri district to come on roads alleging acute shortage of safe drinking water in their respective areas.
While organizing a protest demonstration before the office of Deputy Commissioner inhabitants of village Kot in Thananmandi tehsil alleged that for the last many days no water was supplied by PHE and the villagers have been forced to collect water from natural sources which are also on the verge of drying following scorching heat waves.
"Now the villagers have decided to hold a big protest demonstration including blocking of Rajouri-Thanamandi road if the PHE authorities fail to provide them water" said Miza Mirbaz ,Sarpanch.
Mushtaq Ahmed JE has assured early supply of water to these areas as some pipes have got damaged and the repair work is in progress.
" Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has been supplying drinking water through its network twice in a month in Khamba,Pukhrani,Mangla Mata, Deeng etc villages , situated near Line of Control (LoC) in Nowshera tehsil and for the remaining days people are dependent on natural resource" said Ujjagar Singh.
He and others said since independence successive State governments have failed to provide safe drinking water to the people of this area and in the summer season most of the natural resources get dried causing many difficulties to the people.
They demanded that authorities should supply the water to the people of these areas through water tankers.
Similar situation is being faced by the inhabitants of Dhanore village situated in the vicinity of Rajouri city. Akram, Mohd Bashir and others alleged that water supply has been snapped to their area for the last few days and PHE officials taking the matter casually.
They warned the authorities to mend their ways otherwise large scale protest will be organized against them if the water supply was not restored within next two days.
Mohd Akram ,AEE has assured the people to restore water supply within next few days and also warn action against employees if found involved in dereliction of their duty.
"Protesting people may have some local problems including supply to every house in the villages where the population is scattered. As for as, availbity of raw water is concerned, it is sufficient in the entire district. We have many natural resources of water. Sometimes the water supply got affected due to damage to motors, pipe lines, low voltage etc or due to other unavoidable reasons" said Ch Qayoom, Executive Engineer PHE. |
