DODA, Aug 7: Residents of Dessa Valley have expressed serious concern over the alleged failure of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to ensure potable drinking water in the region, urging the administration to order a transparent inquiry into the delay in completing a key water supply project.
In a public appeal, the residents stated that the incomplete Water Reservoir Tank and Filter Plant at Dhandar Gai has become a symbol of the shortcomings in the implementation of the “Har Ghar Jal” initiative. They alleged that despite the expenditure of substantial public funds, the project remains unfinished, raising concerns over accountability, project execution, and the alleged misuse of taxpayers’ money.
According to the residents, the delay has left more than 200 households, comprising nearly 3,000 people in Gai Habitation, without access to a reliable supply of safe drinking water. They further claimed that the shortage has also affected several public institutions, including government schools, the Police Station, the Naib Tehsil Office, Army camps, Anganwadi Centres, and offices of the Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments.
The residents said that in the absence of a functional water supply system, people continue to depend on the Gai stream, natural springs, and an ageing pipeline from Kashnela to meet their daily water requirements. They described the situation as inconsistent with the objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide safe tap water to every rural household.
The appeal further stated that despite repeated representations to the concerned authorities, no concrete action has been taken to complete the project. The residents expressed apprehension that if the central habitation of Gai is facing such difficulties, the condition in other remote villages of Dessa Valley could be even more severe.
The people of Dessa Valley have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and the Deputy Commissioner, Doda, to order a fair, impartial and transparent inquiry into the delay, fix responsibility for the alleged lapses, and ensure the immediate completion and commissioning of the water supply project so that residents receive safe drinking water as envisaged under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Describing access to clean drinking water as a fundamental right, the residents urged the administration to take swift and effective measures to address the long-pending issue.