Water woes fail to move authorities in Budgam

Manohar Lalgami
Budgam, June 08: They have no choice but to use it daily, but the residents of Budgam and adjoining areas fear the drinking water supplied to them by PHE department. The residents allege that the water supply to the area is always polluted with worms. As a result, the residents are reluctant to take the water even after boiling it.
” It no longer remains water after boiling, it becomes worm soup,” complains an elderly person from the area.
“This is the water supplied to the commoners, and ironically the VIPs in the area receive cleaner water supplied from a different source,” he added.
Residents of the area told Etalaat that the department has kept separate water supply for Army District Magistrate and some VIPs.
The said areas get water from Koternag scheme which was completed in 1989, but according to the residents has so far proved to be a complete failure.
“There is no filtration plant and besides the supply from the source is less so we are forced to use the water from nallah which is polluted,” official sources said.
The locals complain that the water of this particular nallah is too contaminated even for washing clothes as it carries with it the garbage and filth of a large population of the area from where the PHE draws water for supply to the Budgam people. Muhammad Jaffer, a resident told Etalaat that the water supply lines in the town date back to 30 years and are still being used despite increased demand due to population growth.
The angry locals told Etalaat that they have been subjected to discrimination as far as the water supply to the area is concerned.
“Army DM’s office and residence, district offices and some VIPS are provided water from Patwave  spring which is as good as packaged drinking water,’’ they said.
“They are supplied 24 hour supply but the commoners get water supply for only one hour in the day and that too contaminated,” they alleged.
 “ A filtration plant is badly needed, and the  distribution system has also to be worked out afresh as we can’t just go on providing new connections without renovating the infrastructure,’’ said an engineer.
“In fact now filtration plant is the essential part of any water supply scheme, but old hurdles still haunt us,” he added.