Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, Sept 16: Several border villages in Mendhar area of district Poonch are reeling under water shortage.
Dharati, the last village on India-Pakistan border, is facing acute water shortage during these hot summer days. Not only Dharati vilage but a dozen other villages in the Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district are struggling for want of safe drinking water.
In terms of security, Dharati village is strategically significant as it is the last village on the LoC in Mendhar Sub Division. But surprisingly, this village does not even have the basic facilities, after many years independence. Not a single house has power connection. Even the hospital is bereft of electric connection.
The BSF uses a generator to carry on its work of providing water through tankers. Several drinking water projects, which were supposed to have provided drinking water to villagers, got shelved. At least 13 other villages like Balakote,Ghani, Panjani, Dabbasi, Balnoi and forward areas of Balakote, are severely affected due to water shortage. In these villages, Indian Army is providing services. Border people have been heartily appreciated the role of Indian Army in their areas. Villagers are dependent on bore wells these days. Villagers appealed to Chief Engineer PHE to issue his orders to Public Health and Engineering department to instruct to provide drinking water to villagers soon.
Similar reports of water crisis for the last about ten days have been received from Gultha area of Mendhar. The pumping station at the village is lying defunct and PHE (Mech) staff has failed to restore water supply.
Follow our WhatsApp channel