Srinagar Mar 31 (KNO): The Jal Shakti Department has acknowledged persistent drinking water challenges in Chandrigam area of Tral,
In South Kashmir's Pulwama district stating that existing water supply schemes are operating at a reduced capacity due to prolonged dry spells over the past few years.
Replying to a question raised by Tral MLA Rafiq Ahmad Naik, the Minister in charge of the department as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) informed the House that Chandrigam is currently dependent on old water supply schemes which are unable to meet the growing demand effectively.
“To augment and improve the drinking water supply, the scheme Water Supply Scheme (WSS) Aaligund Chandrigam was taken up. However, the deep borewell developed under the project began yielding highly turbid water with excessive suspended sediments after a few months of operation, making the source unfit for potable use,” the Minister said.
The government has now initiated steps to identify an alternative and sustainable source. “A detailed survey is under consideration to locate a viable water source so that the scheme can be made functional at the earliest,” the Minister added.
In the interim, authorities are relying on water tankers to meet the drinking water needs of residents. “Drinking water requirements are being addressed through the deployment of tankers as and when required,” the reply stated.
Regarding the WSS Herbuchou scheme, the Minister said that work is currently in progress but has been temporarily halted due to pending payments for executed work. “The project will resume once the outstanding claims are cleared. Upon completion, the scheme will ապահով water supply to the covered areas in accordance with norms set under the Jal Jeevan Mission,” the Minister noted.
The department further confirmed that field engineers have already conducted inspections and assessments to identify alternate sources for the Aaligund Chandrigam scheme.
However, the government expressed its inability to provide a definite timeline for completion. “Various factors, including paucity of funds and challenges in source exploration, are affecting the progress. At present, a specific completion date cannot be indicated,” the Minister said—(KNO)