BARAMULLA: Amid the government’s Jal Jeevan Mission providing potable water to people, Dooligund and adjoining villages of Sopore’s Rafiabad village are still waiting for piped water supply.
The filtration plant project was set to complete within a two years time period, however, it has been near to five years and the plant is still incomplete. “We are being forced to walk miles to fetch raw water from a Nallah. Waterborne disease has gripped the village,” locals told while accusing the Jal Shakhti department of being negligent toward the people.
Fayaz Ahmed, a senior citizen said that the project once completed is going to cater to the needs of the people living in Dooligund and its surrounding areas. It would benefit thousands of households in several villages including Doligund, Dandoosa, Chraligund, Markipora etc.
Residents said they apprised the concerned departments a number of times to no avail.
Assistant Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti Watergam, Fayaz Ahmed told KNO that the scheme was taken up under JKIDFC (languishing programme) with an approved cost of 4.58 crores. The contractor has left the work midway due to unknown reasons despite serving notices to him from the divisional as well as sub-divisional level, he failed to resume the work.
The components which have been completed under the scheme as per the official are 0.20 lakh gallons over the head tank at Dandoosa, and construction of a clear water sump cum pump house while the rest of the works are yet to complete.
“In addition, laying of pipes from the clear water sump to OHT haven’t been laid as of now because of the non-availability of pipes in the divisional office in Baramulla. “The scheme has been now proposed to shift to Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), of which the proposal stands submitted to the divisional office and is awaiting approval,” he said.
Refuting the allegations of waterborne diseases, the AEE said that they are supplying drinking water to the residents on a regular basis after proper chlorination—(KNO)
