Fire, gas from tube well creates scare in Sopore's Bomai

“Tube well emitting gas and fire vanishes our hope of having portable drinking water in the area”: locals

The sudden emissions of gas and fire from a tube well in north Kashmir's Sopore area of Baramulla district has created fear among the locals, who accused the concerned department of being careless.

However, the gas emitting tube well was shut after the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) carried the news item.

The nature of the gas has not been ascertained yet. The incident created a commotion as villagers from the entire area are gathering at the spot to see the tube well on fire.

Talking to KNO, the locals earlier alleged the concerned department of carelessness, says not a single official has visited the site to enquire the matter, instead they are being told to close down the fire emitting tube well of their own. 'We will Mpay you, close down the tube well with the help of JCB', the department directed the locals.

However, acting swiftly, the department swung into action and closed the newly dug tube well citing apprehensions of an untoward incident.

"The area is lacking the portable drinking water facility for the last several years, while the scheme estimating cost of approximately 4 crores was a hope for the villagers, however, the gaseous tube well vanished their hope of seeing drinking water facility", said Mohammed Ramzan Bhat, a local.

He said that the village has around 400 households and at least 350 among them are without portable drinking water facilities, causing immense hardships to them. "We are being forced to use contaminated water, which is creating health issues among the people", Bhat added.

The residents however, have requested the higher ups and concerned department to look into the matter, so that they could have a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, an official at the Jal Shakhti Sopore told KNO that the well has emitted some gaseous substance and has not been handed over to them. He, however, said that they would go for proper testing first before starting the scheme—(KNO)