JJM transforms lives in twin villages of Tulail

Bandipora, Nov 13: Kashpot and Kilshay villages of Tulail in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district received piped water supply for the first time after 76 years of independence with the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) schemes.
The villages lying near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Tulail area of Gurez till now were dependent on springs; residents had long grappled with a daily struggle to access clean and safe drinking water. For generations, women and children trekked miles to the nearest water source, carrying heavy containers. Their lives were defined by this relentless routine, leaving little time for education, livelihoods or community development.
The turning point came when the administration recognised the urgent need to address this pressing issue. It marked the beginning of a remarkable transformation for the entire community of Kashpot and Kilshay twin villages.
The WSS Kashpot and Sudi Kilshay under JJM took shape with the laying of pipelines, connecting the villages to sources known for their clean water. The estimated cost for Kashpot WSS under JJM was 55.47 lakh rupees, and for Sudi Kilasy, the estimated cost was 58.88 lacs.
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora Dr Owais Ahmed said such initiatives are part of government programmes to increase access to clean and safe drinking water in rural areas through JJM. “Providing Kashpot and Kilshay villages with a tap water connection for the first time was a tough task due to their location on hills with high elevation but establishing a network of taps and distribution points within the village was necessary to make the water easily accessible to residents,” he said.
Dr Owais said that despite the limited working season and the challenging and tough conditions in the difficult terrain of the Tulail area, the department and other stakeholders worked shoulder to shoulder to make the implementation of JJM schemes a success.
He said the Sudi Kilshay scheme has been completed with 100 percent FHTC coverage, and WSS Kashpot will be completed before December this year.
“Access to clean and reliable water supply is a cornerstone of community development, positively impacting health, education, livelihoods, and overall quality of life for the area and is a vital step towards empowering communities in the border area,” he said, adding that the residents of these twin villages celebrated the arrival of clean, potable water right in their homes with immeasurable joy on their faces.
The transformation of these villages, from a place marked by water scarcity to one where the simple turn of a tap brought life-changing opportunities, exemplifies the power of government support and schemes for the welfare of the general public.
DC Bandipora emphasised that fast-track developments in border areas of Gurez in recent times are a sign of good governance towards strengthening border regions and ensuring all the basic facilities to the residents. He said these projects can significantly improve the quality of life for the residents of the village by providing access to safe and convenient drinking water, reducing the burden of water collection, and promoting better sanitation practices.
Over the successful implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the locals expressed their gratitude to the LG administration and Deputy Commissioner Bandipora for successfully executing the Jal Jeevan Mission projects in their area.
The locals said that earlier it was a tough task for their women to trek miles and fetch water for daily use. They said that during winters, it was impossible to fetch water from distant places.
The locals also expressed happiness for the efforts of the Jal Shakti Department, its field functionaries and all other stakeholders for the successful implementation of JJM and providing tap water for the first time to the public of the area.