Doda people face water crises

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Doda town is facing acute water crises for a long timer long due to which the people are suffering seriously. The information gathered from the concerned PHE Division Doda revealed that there are more than 6000 connections out of which only 2500 are legal as per record of the PHE and rest are illegal.

The illegal connections have been provided to the consumers in connivance with the staff due to unknown reasons. When contacted the PHE Xen was of the opinion that these illegal connections have been provided by the field staff without his knowledge but admitted that there is definite involvement of the staff who are at fault and the employees involved are being questioned and action against them is underway and is being referred to higher authorities.

Few of the beneficiaries revealed that they belong to rural areas and if we get these water connections legalized then we will loose the benefit of RBA which tool is otherwise used to get other concessions granted in the relevant SRO if registered in the town. These benefits would bar us to get Govt. jobs if we apply for a legal connection. There are many applications pending in PHE division Doda who are waiting for a legal connections and are deserving claimants. The DC Doda many times issued strict instructions to Xen PHE Doda to immediately launch a drive to disconnect the illegal connections but for ulterior motives and strong nexus between the field staff and illegal consumers the things kept on going which speaks of volumes about this whole issue. Even the women folk took on huge turn when they entered the PHE division few weeks back for providing the water but authorities are maintaining a criminal silence over this basic issue. Many times a proposal was mooted to find out the possibility of lift water scheme from river Chenab besides accelerating the work on infamous Dessa gravity water scheme which brought a bad name to whole Govt.when Former Chief Minister Mufti Mohd. Sayeed was made to inaugurate this drama staged by PHE division Doda who had parked a water tanker near by the stage pumping water to the Tap opened by Mufti in full public view pretending that this water has been brought from Dessa gravity.

When such is the situation then a common man has got all reasons to believe that working in PHE division Doda needs deep investigations. The reported non existing schemes, over charged schemes in violation of set financial norms and over hanging water pipes in all completed schemes instead of charged as underground layout needs in depth probe so that real picture is brought to surface in order to maintain transparency, accountability, on ground realities besides providing clean, filtered drinking water to actual consumers who have been devoid of the same till date but moneys are charged on Govt. exchequer having provided facilities to the satisfaction of the masses who are mainly suffering from water borne disease due to contaminated and full of dirty drinking water.

(REPORT BY BAL KRISHAN)