Water, power crisis
Hard time for Poonch, Rajouri residents
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, January 29
As the entire north India reels under intense chill, erratic electricity and water supply has made the life of the people in Poonch and Rajouri, twin border districts, miserable. The worst affected again remain the rural areas.

Even as the electric supply plays hide and seek in this border district, it has even affected the water supply due to regular disruption in water pumping system.

Whereas power supply remains severely affected and is supplied for just seven to eight hours, it has also affected the water supply. In some areas in the town here and on its outskirts water supply remains disrupted for days together.

Residents facing trying times alleged that though the state government makes false claims of supplying power and water but on ground they have failed to provide solace to them. They rued that though the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar are being fed with regular water and power supply, but these twin border districts are being neglected.

“What is our fault? We hear that they (state government) make every effort to supply uninterrupted water and power supply in twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, but when it comes to our district they are simply not interested,” said Zakir Ahmed, resident of ward no 7 here. “It has become very difficult for us to survive the intense cold. For god sake please ask the government to save us.”

In the neighboring frontier districts of Poonch, people also complained that concerned department has failed in supplying electricity and are imposing nasty power cuts ranging from 14-16 hours.

“We cannot do much since the load increases phenomenally during the winter months. It is because of this fact, we have to impose huge power cuts,” said a senior officer in the Power Development Department on the condition of anonymity. Executive engineer, Public Health Engineering (PHE), Rajouri circle, Sachidanand Sethi told The Tribune that water supply is affected due to erratic power supply.