Srinagar: The High Court and Ladakh has expressed satisfaction with the action plan by the Public Health Engineering Department Kashmir for ensuring safe and pure drinking water to the inhabitants of several far-off villages in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Disposing of a Public Interest Litigation, filed by a Supreme Court lawyer from Kashmir, a division bench of the Court also recorded the statement of Irfan Andleeb, Deputy Advocate General appearing for the department in which he undertook to ensure completion of various projects expeditiously.
The petitioner had submitted that based on the information available with him through public documents and personal visit to village Rambirpora, Kehribal, Karewa Rampora, Wantrag, Roonipora, Brah of District Anantnag, the villagers of these villages are living in difficult conditions on the mountains and have been deprived of the basic facilities necessary for decent living. The petitioner had made reference to non-availability of pure and safe drinking water to the villagers.
In his reply to the court’s notice regarding the issue, the Chief Engineer, PHE Department submitted an Action Plan, providing the details about the steps taken for ensuring pure and safe drinking water to the villagers.
The Chief engineer stated in the Action Plan that the villagers of Rampora, Ranbirpora, Keheribal, Shilpora and District Jail get benefited from the Keheribal reservoir.
In the Action Plan, the Chief Engineer also stated that the department has also moved a fresh proposal with an encumbrance-free scheme as Brah Canal taking off from perennial source Nallah Lidder, which on sanction will mitigate the sufferings of the people.
The cost of the project has been mentioned and worked out at Rs 1366.00 lakh and envisages a saving of Rs 805.80 lakh over the original proposal. The Action plan also provides the timeline to complete these projects.
“We are satisfied with the Action Plan, initiated by the department for ensuring safe and pure drinking water to the inhabitants of these villages,” the bench said, adding, “we dispose of the instant petition with liberty to the petitioner to approach the authorities for pursuing the projects.”
