Thirty years ago two water bodies in uplands of Pulwama district in South Kashmir meaning two dams at Karpora and Tujan were earmarked for development so that the karewa lands and a number of villages namely Rahmo, Parigam, Newa and Wahibug and others would be irrigated and the condition of farmers in the area would be improved. The land for the dams was earmarked and acquired under proper mechanism. After doing some preliminary spadework, suddenly the entire project was abandoned and no Government official either of the Revenue or Public Works Department paid any visit to see what was amiss and why the work was suspended.
Local people say that the project was announced only to obtain money and siphon it out. The dams for which money has been drawn are nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, a good part of the land has been encroached upon and eaten up by people with influence in the corridors of power. No action against the encroachers has been initiated either by the district or state authorities. Lack of irrigation in the karewa villages has reduced the produce and consequently the financial condition of the people has deteriorated. No responsible authority ever paid a visit or ever enquired what happened to the money that was drawn in the name of the dams. Thirty years have gone by and much water has flowed down the river but the dams are nowhere in sight. When the work was abandoned and the functionaries left the place, there was nobody to take up the watch and ward of the machinery and other equipment left behind. The result was that the people looted the machinery parts and other equipments from the site, encroached upon the land as nobody was looking after it and the entire project was almost forgotten for next thirty years.
How can this totally irresponsible attitude be accepted by responsible Government functionaries. An administration that metes out such a treatment to a sanctioned project cannot be expected to be the welfare administration. People of the area wonder whether there is anything by the name of administration in our State? So many Governments have come and gone but the dams remain abandoned. We would suggest that a probe should be ordered into the three decade delay in the construction of the dams and the people should be told what the reasons were for not providing them with water for irrigation which was the original plan. If the Government orders enquiry into the case it would be a deterrent for the defaulting functionaries.
We often hear the Government vehemently supporting the idea of providing incentives to the farmers through reformative measures to increase the production because we have to feed a very large population. Irrigation is the most crucial component of agricultural activities especially in a dry and karewa infested topography of region. Several departments need to come together to ensure that the dams are completed within shortest possible time.
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