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| Kishtwar water crisis 'stage-managed', PHE deptt fails to tape ground water | | |  Asif Iqbal Naik
Early Times Report
Kishtwar, Dec 19: The day in and day out protest against the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department Kishtwar over the increasing water scarcity problem in the district has become a routine issue as both the administration and PHE department despite spending crores of rupees on providing drinking water facility to the people of Kishtwar town and its adjoining areas, the department fail to bring an end to the same.
The department instead of concentrating on to tape the ground water by installing water pumps and dug wells in Kishtwar town and its vicinity is spending huge money on prestigious water supply schemes like 32 KM Naigard water supply scheme part 3 to be constructed at an estimated cost of over Rs. 55 crore, but despite that the department fails to address the problem.
The callous and sleepy attitude of the department could be judged from the fact that a local inhabitant of Kishtwar residing in the heart of Kishtwar has dug a bore well in the courtyard of his home and is selling the water to the people living in and around the vicinity of his home since lost 3 years while at the same time department is busy in drawing corers of rupees from water supply schemes where the employees of the department from top to bottom has a fixed share of commission.
As per the details available with "Early Times", Madan Lal a resident of Sangrambata while constructing an underground water tank found difficulty in digging the tank as water tank was regularly got filled with the water, but Madan Lal who was facing acute shortage of water decided to continue digging of earth and soon the heavy water pressure make him realize that it might be an end to the water crises problem faced by him and with the passage of time he started supplying the water to the people living in and around the vicinity of his home, particularly to those who are constructing homes in the area.
While talking to "Early Times" Madan Lal said that despite repeated request to PHE department for providing water connection to his house, the department rejected his plea on the grounds that the same will be a costly affair for them as his home is situated away from the nearest water pipe line. He said that getting dejected from PHE department, he decided to construct an underground water tank for conservation of rain water added that during the course of digging he dig 30 feet deep bore well and found the water, added that since last three year he is pumping the water with the help of motor from the said well for his use beside also supplied it to the needy people after charging them some amount. He said that the water level remain at its peak from March to October every year, added that after that it started dropping gradually. He said that since last three years he is using the water for drinking and cooking food and found nothing wrong as his health and the health of his family members is stable.
Meanwhile according to experts, the area is previously known as "Gudansar" with huge pond in the area catering the local population, added that PHE department should conduct the survey of the area to find the water table of the area, added that water stability for three years indicates that the area is rich in water table and could address the water crises problem of Kishtwar town and its vicinity.
An engineer in PHE department when contacted informed the "Early Times" on the condition of anonymity that corrupt officials of the PHE department are always creating hurdle in tapping the ground water in Kishtwar and Doda district added that both the District are situated hardly 200 meters above river Chenab level, added that if ground water department officials digs only 10 meters below river Chenab bed, there will be an abandon source of ground water available for the department that could be easily pumped and supplied to the people. He said that bore well or dug well cost less and are the regular source as compared to major water supply schemes like 32 KM long Naigard water supply line.
He said that water supply lines are vulnerable to illegal hocking and costs more in repair as compared to bore well, but added that corruption within the department prevented finalization of such schemes on ground and said that PHE department has spend over 100 Crore on implementation of various water supply schemes in Kishtwar District and further added that many schemes were even did not exist on ground even though the department has withdrawn the sanctioned amount against such schemes. |
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