Residents suffer as Rajouri areas go without potable water

Shyam Sood

Rajouri, December 22

Residents of most areas in Budhal, Kotranks, Darhal, Majakot and Rajouri tehsils have been complaining about acute shortage of safe drinking water.

Despite several protests by them, Public Health Engineering (PHE) officials seem to be too deep in slumber to mitigate their problems.

Residents of Kotranka, Chaprian, Kheora, Nadian Bhajwal, Kalakot and other parts of the district have been complaining about the shortage of potable water.

They have received only hollow promises from PHE officials concerned, but have yet to get a drop of safe drinking water.

People in most of these areas depend upon natural resources like ‘baulis’, rivulets and rivers. They are being forced to drink contaminated water from these natural resources.

Residents of Chaprian village, near Rajouri, have been protesting for the last few days to demand safe water. They have informed PHE officials, but nothing has been done to mitigate their problems.

Mohd Din, Rajesh Kumar, Fareeda Begum and others say they have been collecting water from a hand pump, but even that has been out of order for the last few days.

They have decided to hold a mass protest if the department fails to restore water supply and get the hand pump repaired.

Kasturi Lal, Khem Raj, Rajesh and some other residents of Bhajwal in the Nowshera tehsil complain that most water pipes feeding the area have been damaged.

Alleging negligence on the part of the PHE staff, they claim that attention has not been paid to repair the pipes, due to which the supply has been snapped.

Reidents of Bhajwal have threatened the officials that they will organise a protest demonstration if the pipes are not repaired.

R Goswami, a PHE official, has said he will visit the area to inspect the pipes. If found damaged, action will be taken to get those repaired, he has added.

Residents of ward 1 in Kalakot rue that water supply was snapped about a fortnight ago and has not been restored despite several complaints.

R Ghai, a PHE official, has said he will find out from the employees concerned why the supply was stopped and will get it restored soon.