Authorities get into damage control mode, clean up reservoir and water supply lines

Bandipora, Jan 13: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department Bandipora has cleaned the water supply reservoir and supply lines after the discovery of an animal carcass drew public ire from the villagers on Sunday.

Notably, villagers of Aloosa in this north Kashmir district, claimed they discovered a dead animal, apparently a jackal on Saturday, after an area of the village was left without water for two days due to a blockade.

A thorough search revealed the dead animal in the 4-inch supply line causing widespread outrage, with locals demanding strict action against Jal Shakti employees for ignoring the aging water supply reservoir which they said has not been upgraded or repaired for over forty years.

Meanwhile, Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Bandipora, Mutayib Ahmad said the reservoir and supply lines have been cleaned and water supply operations resumed on Monday.

He said, there was an incident of blockade of supply in Illahipora of Aloosa on Friday. He claimed it took one day for the department to locate the blockade." The officer said the carcass of a kitten was removed from a 4 inch DIA dia supply main.

"The service reservoir and lines are now sanitised and the normal supply shall be resumed on Monday,” he said. Besides this, the officer said, "I have ordered to carry out necessary testing of the supplies on Sunday to ensure there is no contamination."

He said, besides this, "any necessary plugging of any possible ingress points" of the reservoir will be taken through a stage contractor."