Pulwama, Sep 19 (KNO): Residents of Arigam village in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have urged the authorities to expedite work on a long-pending water supply scheme, claiming that the village continues to face an acute shortage of safe drinking water despite the project having been sanctioned several years ago.
The residents said the existing water supply arrangements are inadequate and, in some areas, the water supplied is contaminated, forcing many families to depend on natural springs in Tral town to meet their daily drinking water requirements.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), social activist Ishfaq Gul said the shortage had caused considerable hardship to residents, particularly women and elderly people who, according to him, are often forced to travel several kilometres to collect drinking water.
“We are facing immense difficulties due to the lack of clean drinking water. The water available through the existing system is not fit for consumption, while the arrangements made so far are insufficient for the village,” Gul said.
He said a new water supply scheme for Arigam was sanctioned in 2018 following repeated demands from residents, but the project has remained pending for years.
“Despite repeated assurances that the work would be started, there has been no meaningful progress on the ground. People have been waiting for years and are now losing patience,” he said.
Another resident and Auqaf member, Abdul Rehman Baba, said two public water posts were installed around two years ago after the issue was highlighted, but these have failed to resolve the problem
“Two water posts were installed, but considering the population and requirements of the village, they are far from sufficient. People continue to struggle every day to arrange drinking water,” Baba said.
He said residents had hoped that the long-pending project would finally move ahead following the intervention of MLA Tral Rafiq Ahmad Naik.
The residents have appealed to MLA Tral Rafiq Ahmad Naik and Deputy Commissioner Pulwama Dr Basharat Qayoom to intervene personally and ensure that the scheme is executed at the earliest so that the village gets a reliable supply of potable water.
AEE Jal Shakti Tral, Shoaib Ahmad, said the department was taking steps to start the work soon.
“On Tuesday, we will finalise the land for the OHT (Overhead Tank), and the work will be started very soon,” he said—(KNO)