Uthoora, south Kashmir, July 22: Without a reliable water distribution system, the people of the hamlet of Uthoora in the district of Pulwama are compelled to drink impure water.
Residents of the area complained to Greater Kashmir that the water they were being given came straight from an untreated creek.
They said, “For many years, our families have been sustaining themselves on the murky stream water.”
According to the locals, several water-borne ailments have recently spread across the community because of the polluted water.
An eight-year-old kid died of jaundice in 2018, locals said.
The settlement, home to more than 200 people, can be found within 3 kilometres of the district administration building.
The government approved a new water supply project for the community as part of the Jal Jeevan Mission after the previous one collapsed.
Residents like Tariq Ahmad have been waiting for three years for construction to begin on the new water supply.
He said that they had repeatedly contacted the relevant authorities with no effect.
Ahmad said that the village’s water came from a nearby creek through underground pipelines.
When asked where the villagers got their water, he answered, “The village was earlier fed from a spring, but after it almost dried up, direct water from the stream is supplied to the village.”
Wali Mohamad, another local, reported that when it rains, muck comes out of their water faucets.
Greater Kashmir was informed by a senior official from the Jal Shakti Department that the water supply scheme had been approved under the Jal Jeevan Mission and that the corresponding construction work had been contracted out.
“Work on the said scheme will be taken up soon and completed during this financial year only,” the official added.
