‘PHE spend huge funds on the failed scheme in the name of repair‘
Anjum Firdous
Panar (Bandipora) Dec 04:Constructed in the year 2003 the Panar Water Supply Scheme here in North Kashmir’s Bandipora District has failed to provide drinking water to the adjoining needy areas while the department according to locals continue to spend funds worth lakhs on this ‘failed scheme’ in the name of repair.
Scores of water supply schemes in many rural areas of Bandipora have been left incomplete while some have been abandoned.
Similarly, the Panar scheme launched 13 years ago came to a halt once a reservoir was constructed atop in Panar forest area and department failed to tap water to the same.
Panar scheme was designed to supply water to the adjoining areas of Panar Panchayt block but this scheme and other small schemes have remained on paper for long. In rural areas, people walk long distances to fetch water in pots.
Department of Public Health and Engineering completed the construction of the Panar WSS in the year 2003 at the cost of 50 lakhs. However, thirteen years on the scheme has proved a failure as adjoin villages are still awaiting drinking water facility.
The people in Panar and its adjoining areas who hope for getting drinking water facility from the schemes are facing severe water scarcity as the scheme remained a non-starter from last 13 years.
The government laid huge network of pipes to operate Panar water Supply scheme while laying the network of around 2000 but the scheme failed as department failed to uplift water to the reservoir from Vij Nallah.
Department is constructing second Service Reservoir after the earlier one failed to function,Locals said.
“Besides spending over 50 lacs on the scheme that was repaired later while using huge funds but the schemes totally failed to be implemented, “Locals in Panar told Kashmir Convener.
People in the area lamented over the scarcity of drinking water and said that Vij and Athwatoo streams would have been a major source of drinking water for needy hamlets but the department has failed tap water from these resources owing to the lack of technical expertise and its apathetic attitude, locals said.
Locals had umpteenth times approached concerned department and returned with the only answer that schemes has failed however the locals questioned the utilization of funds on the failed scheme by the department.
“If the schemes have failed why the department is year using funds worth lakhs in the name of repair” Locals questioned.
The department according to locals has again started the process of laying pipes on this ‘failed scheme’, the process according to them is nothing but to swallow up the public funds.
A filed engineer denying the public complaints said that department is, making efforts to provide the drinking water to the village. He said that scheme might be functional in coming few weeks.
Repeated attempts to contact Executive Engineer Bandipora proved futile as he didn’t pick the phone calls. Meanwhile, locals appealed Minister PHE, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to look into the matter.
They were demanding drinking water facility besides seeking stern action involved officials who are involved in the failure of the scheme after using fund worth Crores time to time.
“We are without proper drinking water facility, we approached every officer but of no avail” locals said “we are now appealing Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan to intervene in the matter”