Kulgam: The rivers of of Jammu and Kashmir are getting polluted each passing day due to an inadequate system of waste disposal. The case of Veshaw Nallah in Kulgam Kashmir,which despite their world famed beauty have been turned into receivers of direct sewage drain.
“Much of the garbage and filth of the Kulgam towns and villages is directly or indirectly being dumped into the water bodies around, polluting them abundantly,” locals rued.
The Veshaw River or Veshaw Nallah is a major tributary to the River Jhelum located in Kulgam in the South Kashmir valley. It originates from Pir Panjal range and forms a waterfall at Aharbal.
“The Veshaw Nallah or Veshaw river has witnessed heavy pollution over the last two decades with liquid and solid waste from home toilets, drains in kulgam district draining into the river without any treatment,” locals at Kulgam said.
While talking to another resident of Kulgam he told to INS that despite repeated appeals to administration they are in deep slumber.
They confided that there are many villages from Kulgam to Arwani used this water for drinking, bathing and washing their utensils from this polluted water.
Locals claim that the project of Solid Waste Management Project is incomplete from last 6 years, 6.4 crores also sanctioned for this project but it is still incomplete.
“Then the govt. Changed the project and then they increased its cost and that is 24 crores and the 24 kanals land was also sanctioned for this project near Leru Kulgam but all is waste,” they claimed.
They claimed that project is still pending and the authorities fail to prevent the Veshaw River from being polluted through different means especially the Nallah, liquid disposal, dumping polythene bag wastes, chemical wastages from nearby villages of veshaw Nallah.
When contacted officials at Muncipal council declined to comment citing they are not approved to talk to media.