Water crisis deepens in Kumaon

BD Kasniyal

Pithoragarh, February 5

Residents of various villages and towns in the Kumaon region are worried that the natural resources that supply them drinking water are drying up due to a dry winter this year. They are facing an acute shortage of water these days.

“It has become difficult to supply drinking water to all wards in Champawat town and adjoining villages on a daily basis as the natural resources are drying up rapidly. The region has not witnessed rain for the last eight months,” said PC Kargeti, Executive Engineer of Jal Sansthan, Champawat.

The water crisis in Pulhindola town of Lohaghat subdivision in Champawat district is deepening as four of the five hand pumps in the town have gone dry. The residents are sourcing drinking water from a waterfall situated 4 km from the town. “Hand pumps have gone dry as natural water resources have dried up due to no rain during the winter this year,” said Pawan Bisht, a Jal Santhan engineer.

The drinking water supply to Champawat town has been restricted to one hour daily at present and the Sansthan officials are mulling further curtailment of supply to alternate days as the four natural water resources that cater to the needs of the town are generating less water. “Against the daily need of 1.1 MLD of water for the town, we are able to supply only 0.50 MLD of water. The supply may reduce further if the natural resources remain dry in future as well,” said Kargeti.

In Pithoragarh town, the drinking water shortage has emerged as the water level in the Kashni tank of the Jal Sansthan has fallen due to no rain in the basin area of the Thuligar river where the tank has been constructed. “We are getting regular complaints of water shortage from several wards of the town as the Jal Sansthan is not able to meet the total demand of drinking water of the town,” said Joshi.

Subsidised loan for homeless in Pithoragarh

The Pithoragarh Nagar Palika Parishad plans to provide houses to homeless people living in the town area and having land under the Prime Minister’s “Sabke liye aawas” scheme by 2022, said Khima Nand Joshi, Executive Officer of the parishad here today.

“Under the scheme, we have decided to do a survey of all wards in the town to ascertain the number of homeless persons who have land but have no means to construct houses for their families. We will provide house loans to them at a subsidised interest rate of 6 per cent. Permanent residents of the town will be able to have a house by 2022,” Joshi said.

“We have till date identified 17 such residents who have land in the town area but lack means to construct houses. We have sent the proposal to the government for financial sanction,” he added.

Joshi said the housing scheme launched by the Prime Minister would be beneficial for towns like Pithoragarh where residents have land but lacked means to construct houses.