‘Our Land Will Become Barren’: Tral Residents Decry Authorities’ Water Sources Diversion

“If the water of this spring too will be diverted, the whole land will become barren as there is no other source of water available for this vast land.”

SRINAGAR — The residents of Machhama Tral and its adjacent areas in Tral hamlet of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have appealed to authorities not to divert their water sources, otherwise their whole agricultural land shall become barren.

The residents of Machhama, Bangandar, Kahlee, Kenalora and its adjacent areas while talking to Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that there are many springs and a canal in the area and water of all springs except one is being used to provide drinking water facilities to many villages of the area.

They said that now there is only one spring and a canal in the area and now PHE has decided to use this spring, which is the source water for hundreds of kanals of land, for some new water supply scheme.

Residents asked if the water of this spring will be diverted to the water supply scheme from where will the water for 1400 canals of agricultural and horticultural land come.

They further added that if the water of this spring too will be diverted, the whole land will become barren as there is no other source of water available for this vast land.

They said that they are going to oppose diversion of the water and can start a protest if the government won’t intervene

They requested LG Manoj Sinha and DC Pulwama to look into the matter at the earliest so that locals won’t face any problems.

They also requested investigating agencies to hold an enquiry into various water supply schemes of the areas which have been constructed in the area since last several years but never made functional-(KNO)