Excelsior Correspondent
POONCH, May 5: Water Lift Scheme at Chhatral village, a remote area of Mendhar Sub Division of Poonch district has been abandoned by the concerned PHE agency since long.
Information compiled from the locals and some officials of the area revealed that the total cost of this water lift scheme was Rs 3.25 crores and the construction work was started during the year 2009. The PHE authorities conducted over 70 % of the work and rendred it incomplete for years due to the reasons not known. This abandoned work could not be resumed till date while a large population of Pathanatir and parts of Chhatral is suffering badly.
Local residents, Shah Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Jamil Qureshi and others said that the work of this water lift scheme was lying incomplete for the last several years, due to this the villagers were facing water crisis. The women of the area walk for miles to bring water on heads from natural sources. For the past about 11 years now this scheme could not be completed. This is the matter to be investigated by higher authorities. The public money worth crores remained unutilized and nobody was held responsible for it till today.
This water lifting scheme was actually meant for connecting Chhatral with Pathanatir village. This scheme would benefit hundreds of families of this remote belt. The locals demanded that Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory Jammu and Kashmir should hold enquiry into the whole matter and take stern action against the guilty officers of PHE/ Jal Shakti department.
Dr Sahil Jandyal, SDM Mendhar when contacted said he was not aware of the matter. He assured that he would get detail from the concerned officials and then take up the matter at the appropriate level.
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