Bandipora: An irrigation canal passing through Chitteybandy and Aragam villages in Bandipora district in north Kashmir has turned into a dumping site while the authorities are unmoved.
Hundreds of Kanals of Agriculture land in Garoora-Aragam belt are choked owing to pollution and Irrigation and Flood Control department has turned blind eye towards the farmers woes.
“The stagnant water is creating a lot of problems for locals and there is no intervention from concerned authorities,” Javid Ahmad, a local resident said.
He added that heaps of polythene, plastic bags, and other medical waste are being dumped inside the canal and in this regard, they informed the concerned authorities several times but they failed to do anything substantial.
The locals said that heaps of garbage and stagnant water pose a grave threat of communicable disease amid the COVID-19 pandemic while the authorities are unmoved.
A resident said that people residing along the canal have been dumping waste material in the canal and it has been turned into a dumping site.
The irritation cannel is adjoining the various villages like Gunddachina, Brar, Malikpora, Chittibandy,Aragam and Garoora to full fill their Irrigation facilities.
Farmers told that Irrigation cannal flowing through Check, Garoora, Gund Dachina, Brar, Malik Pora, Chitteybandy and Aragam have been damaged and choked owing to pollution and deposition of polyethene bags and other pollutants.
The choked canals have lead to serious concerns among residents.Locals said the foul smell emitting from these choked canals have also made the life of locals a hell.
The aggrieved farmers have alleged that the officials of I&FC and district administration has turned blind eye towards their woes as the repeated requests to them has fallen to deaf ears. “we requested officials to clean the canals but they didn’t paid any heed to our pleas,” farmers added.
A local resident of Aragam Javid Ahmad told the correspondent that their is threat of various diseases because of the garbage which is thrown on the roads as well as in the canals and other streams that prevails in the whole area.
When contacted Executive Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control, he assured that the demands of the locals will be fulfilled very soon and we are investigating the matter.
He requested the inhabitants of the said area for not throwing the garbage on cannels otherwise strict actions will be taken against them.
Residents also appealed the Chief Engineer I&FC and Divisional Commissioner Kashmir to direct the concerned officials for early redressal of their greviances.
