By: Sajjad mirza
The water shortage crisis in the future is the biggest challenge, the immediate solution of which is the construction of small dams. The construction of a small dam on Pattan Bhimber can provide clean drinking water and water for irrigation all year round to Bhimber city and adjacent settlements.
The construction of a mini dam on any drain is a requirement of the future. The Azad Kashmir government should re-determine budget priorities and make the construction of small dams a top priority. Chaudhry Anwarul Haq demands the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir to take practical steps to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to the populations of Bhimber city and its surrounding areas. These views were expressed by Iftikhar Sajid Azimi, Chairman Bhimber Development Forum, members of the Executive Council Engineer Khalid Pervez Butt, Chaudhry Mukhtar Ahmed, former District Health Officer Dr. Tariq Mahmood Khan, Anis Ahmed Kashmiri, Muhammad Ashfaq and others while addressing a press conference.
Chaudhry Mukhtar Ahmed said that due to the wrong policies and lack of interest of the governments, groundwater is decreasing rapidly. Emergency measures will have to be taken to stop this. Engineer Khalid Pervez Butt said that ensuring continuous supply of clean drinking water in Bhimber city is the primary responsibility of the Public Health Department. The planning of tube wells installed in the past was poor and many tube wells are inoperative or their water is not drinkable. Anis Ahmed Kashmiri said that due to the rotten water line and sewage line being laid side by side, sewage pollution is getting into the water and causing serious health problems. Dr. Tariq Mahmood Khan said that drinking contaminated water causes stomach diseases, cholera, kidney failure, hepatitis, etc.
Clean drinking water is the right of every citizen. Members of the Bhimber Development Forum said that the groundwater level is continuously falling. In the nineties, where the water level was 150 to 200 feet, now the same level has become 600 feet or even more. Water consumption is also increasing due to the continuous increase in population, the best solution of which is the construction of small dams. There are abundant rain drains in the Bhimber constituency, on which the construction of dams can help overcome the water crisis and also reduce the pace of climate change.
