Irfan Tramboo
SRINAGAR, July 18: Due to the absence of drinking water in a Srinagar area, several households have been subjected to forced displacement as the work on installing additional pipeline continues to remain in limbo over the last several years.
The residents of Syed Shah Kamal-u-Din Colony in Wanganpora area of Srinagar said that they have been facing the issue of the water scarcity over the last many years. However, for last at least one week, the water scarcity has taken an ugly turn as their taps are running dry.
There are few families residing in the colony that are set to witness marriage ceremonies in the coming days, however, they are in two minds regarding how to organize the function in the absence of drinking water. Some have shifted, while some are giving it some more time.
Seerat Manzoor who is herself getting engaged in the coming days is also in dilemma. She is getting engaged soon after Eid, however, her family has already preferred to shift to some other place in the adjoining area where the drinking water is available.
The colony, comprising of at least 100 households are all suffering for the want of water and have been compelled to get water in buckets from the spots where the water is available. There are a couple of tube wells in the colony which are now used by the residents to fulfil their needs.
“Since 2017, the situation worsened, while we used to have something in the name of water, but in last 6-7 days, we have not had a single drop of water in the colony, subjecting us to immense hardships,” said another resident of the colony, Nazir Ahmad Khan.
Another resident, Hanief Ahmad Khan told Excelsior that the residents have brought the issue into the notice of the concerned, however, nothing has been done in this regard so far.
The residents rued the callous attitude of the concerned department and said that they are being subjected to miseries amid harsh times of COVID-19 pandemic. “The department does send a water tanker, but we hardly get hold of one-leaving us thirsty,” they said.
When Excelsior contacted the concerned officials in the department, they said that the work of said colony is being taken up on priority bases and it shall be done with soon.
“We have tendered out the work and within one week, the work shall be allotted to the concerned; the pipelining has been done there, we now have to do more of it (pipelining) to connect it with the main supply; shall be done soon,” Er Shakeel Ur Rehman, AEE, PHE Sub Division Srinagar NWR told Excelsior.
With regard to the shortage of water supply faced by the residents as of now and the marriage ceremonies coming up in days ahead, he said that the department shall take care of it and that they will be provided with the required water supply.
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