Anantnag: Thousands of people still need potable, clean drinking water – here in Breenthi area of Dilagam in the Anantnag district – as a significant part of a water supply scheme still needs to be completed, more than four years after the work was first started on it.
Breenthi is one of the largest villages in south Kashmir, and most of the households do not have access to tap water. The residents are forced to drink contaminated water from open natural sources, including springs and/or rivulets, while some households get tap water from the Achabal spring.
“All these sources are contaminated and consumption of unfiltered water often makes people sick with diseases communicable by water,” the residents of Breenthi told Kashmir Reader, adding, “The access to Achabal spring is limited to people living along the road only and not into the village.”
To fill this gap, the Brinty Water Supply Scheme was sanctioned, with an out capacity of around 150000 gallons of water. The scheme was to be constructed at an estimated cost of 722 Lac Rupees and was supposed to fulfill the water scarcity to a large extent.
More than four years have passed since the work commenced on this project, and it is still not functional. The authorities in charge of the project have completed the overhead tank and pipes were also laid down to supply water.
“The pipes however broke down and developed leaks at many places, while a trial was being conducted. Since then there has been no headway into the completion of the project,” sources in the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department told Kashmir Reader.
The general public, meanwhile, facing the pinch of water scarcity, has been taking steps to mend the situation on their own. At many places in Breenthi, people have come together and contributed money to get a borewell dug and fulfill their drinking water needs.
“We could not sit back and wait for the authorities to wake from their slumber. We contributed money and have dug a borewell to pump water for our own consumption,” Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Wanpora locality in Breenthi told Kashmir Reader.
He said that the water suffices the five to six households who contributed money for it. “And it is not just us, many other households have done the same. We cannot keep falling ill, waiting for the government to care for us and complete the water supply scheme,” the other residents said, adding, “It has cost us a substantial amount of money to install the motors and all, but it is worth the trouble.”
The officials however contradict the local residents and say that the scheme has been completed and is supplying water to most parts of the village. “Glitches have been taken care of, and water is being supplied through the scheme to most parts of the village. Some parts remain and will be made functional after availability of 15mm and 20mm pipes,” the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) Anantnag, Zameer Raina, told Kashmir Reader.

Suhail A Shah