Kulgam’s Drangbal, Pulwama’s Dougam residents decry shortage of potable water

These areas will get drinking water soon, say Officials

The residents of Drangbal village in Kulgam and Dougam area of Pulwama are up in arms against the government for failing in providing potable drinking water facilities in these areas.

The residents of the Drangbal area of Kulgam told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that they have been facing water shortage for years and authorities are acting as mute spectators.

They said that initially the village was connected with Check-e-Samad water supply for time, however, with construction of road in the area the pipeline was removed and it was never installed again and later we were connected with another scheme but that too is defunct.

Locals said that they have brought this issue in notice of concerned authorities in this regard but nothing was done as of now on ground.

They said that a new water supply scheme has been sanctioned for the area this year but as of now no work has been done.

They requested concerned authorities to look into the matter and start work on the new scheme immediately and complete it in a given time so that locals can get potable water.

Meanwhile, the residents of Dougam village in South Kashmir's Pulwama district said that the water supply scheme in the area which was made functional very before is functioning without a filtration plant due to which they are forced to drink contaminated water.

They said that despite that scheme was started very before and a filtration plant was also sanctioned but it has been left incomplete due to unknown reasons and locals are getting water directly from a nallah.

“Ninety percent of the work on the filtration plant has been already done but due to unknown reasons it has been left out,” they said, adding, “We have taken up this issue in notice of higher ups several times but to no avail.”

Locals requested authorities to complete the filtration plant at an earliest so that they can get potable water.

Officials from the PHE Pulwama said that there were some issues with contractors regarding the Dougam filtration plant which have been sought out and within 10-15 filtration plants will be completed.

They officials, while acknowledging that the Drangbal area is facing water shortage, said that a tender is open for the scheme of Drangbal but as of now we haven't received any response. However, they assured area will get potable water soon—(KNO)