9 years, 3 govts, 3 cost estimates, Yousuf Abad still ‘denied’ water

KT NEWS SERVICE

SRINAGAR, Jan 29: It was way back in September 2001 when Javaid Ahmad Malla submitted an application for water connection to Yousuf Abad Bemina, but nine years on the Public Health Engineer (PHE) department has failed to make arrangement for water supply to the area. Having no access to safe drinking water, the inhabitants of Yousuf Abad are forced to rely on contaminated water.

The cost estimate was submitted three times to executive engineer PHE Budgam, but directions remained confined to papers.

Pertinently, the application, dating back to July 2, 2001, was addressed to then minister of state for education, who had directed executive engineer PHE Budgam to take “necessary action”.

“We have reached everywhere to get ourselves heard, but so far our repeated requests seem to have only fallen on deaf ears,” the inhabitants of Yousuf Abad told Kashmir Times.

After waiting for nine long years, they have been told by the department to wait for another year.

“We have been waiting for nine years, and now the authorities want us to wait for another year,” the inhabitants said. “Is this the way to treat top priority cases?”

The inhabitants said that they were facing ‘unjust’ and ‘unethical’ discrimination because of their political inclination.

“We appeal to our MLA Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who is also a cabinet minister, to kindly look personally into the matter on top priority to mitigate our sufferings,” they said.

The inhabitants alleged that the department had issued number of water pipes to the supporters of a particular political party.

“If they don’t have funds to meet our nine-year-long demand, how come they provide water pipes or even new connections to those who already have one connection,” they said.

They alleged that the department was only favouring influenced persons who enjoyed patronage of some political parties.