Tanveer Hussain
Budgam, September 16: Local residents of Lalpora, Beerwah, held a silent and peaceful protest on Wednesday over the shortage of drinking water and irregular water supply in the area.
During the protest, the residents urged the concerned authorities to take immediate measures to ensure regular and adequate drinking water supply to all affected areas.
The protesters said that inadequate water availability was causing difficulties in meeting their daily household requirements. Local resident Syed Aqib Bukhari said that people in the area were facing inconvenience due to insufficient water supply.
Appealing to the higher authorities, Syed Aqib Bukhari urged that the Lalpora Water Supply Scheme be completed and made fully functional at the earliest. He said that delays in the completion of the scheme had caused difficulties for local residents, particularly with regard to drinking water.
He further claimed that residents were currently receiving water for around two hours a day, which, according to him, was insufficient to meet their household needs. He urged the concerned authorities to take immediate cognisance of the issue and ensure regular and adequate water supply to all affected localities.
Meanwhile, Muntazir Ahmad also highlighted the concerns of the residents and appealed to the PHE/Jal Shakti Department, Beerwah, to address the shortage at the earliest and ensure adequate drinking water for the public.
Meanwhile, Shoaib Lone, In-Charge Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), PHE Beerwah, clarified the present status of the Lalpora Water Supply Scheme and appealed to residents to cooperate with the department.
Shoaib Lone said that a new water supply scheme had been developed with the objective of ensuring adequate and equitable water supply to all areas of Lalpora. According to him, Lalpora has around ten localities, of which approximately five had been receiving relatively adequate water under the old system, while other areas were facing difficulties in terms of water availability.
He clarified that the new scheme had not been designed only for areas previously facing water shortages, but for the entire Lalpora habitation, with the aim of extending water supply to every locality.
According to Shoaib Lone, a new SR-1 (Service Reservoir) has been constructed at the highest point of Lalpora under the new scheme. He said that proper inspection, testing and stabilisation of the entire network were necessary before the system could operate at full capacity on a regular basis.
He further said that interruptions had also been reported in the old water supply system. During an inspection of the pipeline, a large stone was reportedly found blocking the old pipeline, and the department also has video evidence of the blockage, he said.
Shoaib Lone said that under the improved system, the old service reservoir, which previously took around 12 hours to fill, is now expected to fill in approximately eight hours. According to him, this would provide around four additional hours of water availability.
He said that areas including High Reach and Petpora Wana, which had previously remained deprived of adequate water supply, would receive improved water availability under the new scheme.
The officer said that the new water supply scheme has been successfully commissioned and is currently operational. However, some minor technical issues and blockages in the pipelines still need to be addressed. He expressed hope that the remaining issues would be resolved within the next two to three days.
Shoaib Lone appealed to the residents to remain patient and cooperate with the department, saying that the objective was not to focus on any particular locality but to ensure water supply across the entire Lalpora habitation.
He said that every locality of Lalpora was equally important to the department and that every resident should have access to adequate water. According to him, where water is already reaching, maintaining the supply is important, while resolving problems in areas where water is not reaching remains a priority.
He added that cooperation from the local residents would help the department resolve the remaining technical issues and stabilise the system at the earliest. The department, he said, is making efforts to ensure that the benefits of the new water supply scheme reach all areas of Lalpora and that water supply is not limited to any particular locality.
The issue comes amid concerns raised by local residents regarding the availability of drinking water, while the PHE department maintains that the new scheme has been commissioned and is operational, with efforts underway to address the remaining minor technical issues and pipeline blockages.
