The famous Zaingeer canal, which irrigates thousands of kanals of agricultural land in Sopore area of north Kashmir, has been turned into garbage dumping site, worrying farmers and locals alike.
Farmers accused that the irrigation department has continuously neglected the canal, as a result, the canal is being choked by the garbage thus threatening irrigation to thousand of kanals of farmland.
The people residing around the canal say that a few years ago the irrigation canal provided very clean and clear water and the locals used its water for drinking as well as irrigation. “But unfortunately today this canal is full of dirt and the canal has turned into a garbage dumping site,” they said.
The people of Siddique Colony and Shalimar colony Sopore, who are residing on the banks of this Zaingeer canal, said that as soon as the summer days begin, the filth and dirt in this canal spreads a strong stench, which threatens to spread diseases.
“We informed the irrigation department several times to clean the canal, but they do nothing,” Muhammad Yousuf a local resident of Siddique colony said.
The officials of the Irrigation Department said that they have cleaned the canal at many places and some work is pending at some places due to the current Covid situation.