Collecting potable water is a matter of life and death for the residents of Ganori village, located around eleven kilometers from Kahara block in Doda district. Putting their lives at risk, women of the area brave the threat of snow avalanches and wild animals simultaneously to collect water from the lone natural source, which is two kilometers from the village and is situated in a dense forest right beneath the snow-peaked mountains.
With the concerned department and local administrationfailing to provide potable water to the villagers, the natural fountain is theonly source of respite for the locals.
Nearly 100 families living on the slopes of three hamlets ofKahara tehsil, including Ganori, Kuthal and Naik Mohalla, claime that they havebeen without piped water despite several centrally sponsored schemes,especially aimed to provide drinking water in rural areas. This has resulted inthem facing numerous social and economic issues, beside exposing them and theirlivestock to the threat of snow avalanches and increasing attacks by wildanimals, they said.
Pertinently, four villagers, including a woman, had a narrowescape after they were buried under snow while collecting water from the lonenatural source around 6 years ago. “I, along with three other villagers,was collecting water when suddenly snow came down from the adjoining hill,burying all of us. Luckily, help arrived on time and were rescued fromunderneath the snow after 4 hours. Kulsuma Begum of Ganori village said,adding, “I still have nightmares and shiver with fear, whenever I think of thatincident. Six years have passed, but I still am forced to visit the same spoteveryday to collect the water.”
18-year-old Raveesa Bano, another resident of Ganori, said,”We live under constant danger. We defy possible death every day as we bravethe dual threat of snow avalanches and wild animals. Swacch Bharat Abhiyan andopen defecation free (ODF) slogans sound good, but for us, fetching water isstill the prime issue.”
Shah Nawaz Mir, panchayat member of Ganori-Kusharthawa,said, “Despite several pleas to political representatives and civiladministration, nothing has been done to provide piped water to out villages.”
On being contacted, sub-disvisional magistrate, Thathri,Mohammad Anwar Banday, said, “This is a very serious issue as we are bound toprovide basic amenities to every villager. Besides, providing healthy drinkingwater is our top priority.”
He added, “I will send a team of engineers of the concerneddepartment to conduct a survey and as soon as the snow melts, we will startinstallation of pipes on war footing.”
Pertinently, on March 30, an employee of public healthengineering department was killed and 2 of his colleagues were seriouslyinjured when they came under a snow avalanche while restoring water supply inKot-Bhanecha area, only a couple of miles away from Ganori village.