Neglected by Govt, Basholi villagers start digging canal for water supply

Basholi villagers forced to drink contaminated water of a spring. —Excelsior/Pardeep
Basholi villagers forced to drink contaminated water of a spring. —Excelsior/Pardeep

Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, June 1: The people of Panchayat Draman in block Basholi of Kathua district are forced to consume contaminated water of a spring where animals are also consuming the water due to lack of potable water to these villagers.
The villagers are not only facing the shortage of drinking water but also the irrigation water for their land due to apathetic attitude of the administration. Fed up with the official apathy, the villagers are forced to start self service by starting the work to dig a canal to fulfill their need of water. More than 60 to 70 villages are working 10 hours daily during the last five days to complete the task to dig a canal at their own cost. When the concerning department failed to arrange drinking water and irrigation water the villagers took an onus to themselves.
The unfortunate days for the people started when the PMGSY started construction of a road connecting to Panchyat Draman four year earlier. The first phase of earth work was completed but with this three km long water supply PHE pipes connecting the four villages of Draman Panchyat were damaged. A mini canal of Irrigation water was also damaged with the construction of road by concerned agency.
The villagers Gandarb Singh , Kuldeep Singh, Bodh Raj , Rumsil Singh  said that the PMGSY constructed a road and damaged the drinking water pipes and irrigation canal, besides the other water resources. Despite the repeated approach to concerning Department did not pay attention to solve the water problem. Ultimately the villagers took initiative to divert canal water supply to four villages. Despite the passing of four days no one from PHE, Irrigation and PMGSY visited to take care of poor villagers.
It is matter of investigation to find out that how much money the concerning Department has withdrawn and how much work they have done, asked the villagers. Why not construction agencies have restored the water supply, they further asked?. When Contacted Deputy Commissioner Kathua, O P Bhagat said that unfortunately the concerning Department has not done needful. However the concerning Executive Engineer of PMGSY and PHE Departments have been asked to complete the works immediately and restore the water supply so that the villagers may not suffer anymore. Till the works are completed the PHE Department has been asked to restore tanker supply to villagers.