Water crisis in Jawali panchayat

The residents of Dol-Bhated, Paddar, Nadoli, Seuni and Kuther gram panchayats in the Jawali Assembly constituency of Kangra district have been facing a piped water crisis for the past over two months. The Jal Shakti Department has failed to streamline water supply even after the monsoon season ended. A lot of resentment is brewing among around 25,000 people living in rural areas.

Students of local government primary, middle and senior secondary schools are harried over the shortage of potable water in their institutions. It has been difficult to cook mid-day meals in schools these days and it is being done with water from village wells. The residents are struggling to procure water required for their daily needs.

Shalu Nath, pradhan of Dol-Bhated panchayat; Gagan Samyal, up-pradhan of Seuni panchayat; and Anil Jaryal, up-pradhan of Nadoli panchayat; lament that the villagers have been facing a water crisis for the past two months but the Jal Shakti Department has taken no steps to address the problem. They say that water is the lifeline of people and essential for life and it is the prime duty of the state government and the Jal Shakti Department to provide water supply.

Sadhu Ram Rana, a social activist and former up-pradhan of Dol-Bhated panchayat, says that the residents are getting water supply from a tubewell because supply pipelines damaged two months ago due to the construction of the Dorana-Paddar-32 Meel link road could not be restored. This has created an artificial water crisis in the panchayat.

Harjinder Singh, Assistant Engineer, Jal Shakti Department, Kotla subdivision, says that debris and muddy water entered the Dol-Nadolli water supply scheme after it was damaged in the monsoon disaster. He adds that the department has deployed its workforce to remove debris from the water supply project and the work will be completed within the next few days.

The Assistant Engineer says that the affected panchayats are being provided piped water supply on a temporary basis from the Dhiala-Chaniyla scheme.