KISHTWAR: A man in Jammu and Kashmir’s water-stressed Kishtwar town allegedly encroached upon a public hand pump by constructing a kitchen around it. The Jal Shakti Department has lodged a police complaint in connection with the matter.
At a time when many areas in and around Kishtwar town are facing an acute water crisis, a local resident named Sheetal Kumar has encroached upon a public hand pump near the SSP office. Kumar has constructed a house around the hand pump, which was installed by the government for public use. Now, the hand pump lies inside the kitchen of Kumar’s house. It is being used as a personal property. Common people cannot use it to fetch water.
As per the details available, officials of the Jal Shakti department have asked the local police to lodge an FIR and initiate action against those involved in encroaching upon the government-installed hand pump and using it as personal property.
Senior PHE officials were surprised when they learnt that the accused has managed to encroach upon the public property by carrying out construction over it.
