Handwara, June 04: A Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme worth Rs 2.17 Crore, meant to provide drinking water to the remote Rajpora village in Handwara, has failed even before it could become operational. Locals allege that over a dozen water supply pipes have already been damaged, raising alarm over the quality of materials used in the project, which is still under construction.
Despite a scheduled completion date of September 2024, the infrastructure is already crumbling. Pipes have reportedly cracked at more than 15 locations. “The pipes haven’t supplied a single drop of water yet, and they are already falling apart,” said Irshad Ahmed, a local resident.
The scheme, officially titled WSS Behnipora, Satkuji, covers the villages of Satkuji, Behnipora, and Rajpora in Rajwar block. According to the on-site signage, the work includes the installation of a 0.43-gallon service reservoir, pre-settling tank, collection chamber, and chain-link fencing, along with the laying of a main supply line and distribution network.
The project has been funded with Rs 195.3 lakh from the Centre and Rs 21.7 lakh from the state government. It received technical sanction on September 12, 2022, and the work order was issued on October 28, 2023.
However, locals say the execution is flawed. Advocate Mir Imran told Rising Kashmir, “This was meant to provide safe drinking water, but it’s turned into a scheme to siphon off public funds. If they knew water would be drawn from high-altitude sources, why didn’t they use stronger pipes? Now they’re just welding over the damage to avoid replacement. This is unacceptable.”
He added that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Division in Handwara has a history of questionable practices. “We have seen irregularities before, and this is no different.
When contacted, the Executive Engineer of PHE Division Handwara, Bilal Ahmad, told Rising Kashmir that not a single penny has been released to the contractor so far. “We will ensure that the pipeline does not get damaged,” he said.
Bilal Ahmad acknowledged that there are some issues, primarily due to fluctuations in water pressure, which have caused damage to the pipes at certain points. However, he assured that addressing these issues is a priority, and measures are being taken to prevent further damage.
He further stated that funds will only be released to the contractor once the pipeline successfully passes all required tests.
Adding to the gravity of the issue, another resident, Mohammed Ramzan, recalled a tragic incident last year in which four members of a family died while fetching drinking water from a distant source. “That tragedy should have been a wake-up call. The work on this scheme began only after that loss, to provide safe drinking water locally. However, even now, the authorities are still using substandard materials. It shows that lives in this village hold no value for them,” he said, demanding a high-level probe into the entire project.
