Nation Panel seeks report in 6 months Vijay Mohan Chandigarh, December 15 Amid the snow-capped mountains holding the continent’s largest reserves of fresh water, most of the men tasked with guarding the Himalayan frontier do not have access to clean drinking water and are dependent on polluted sources.
Only 18 per cent of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Force’s Border Outposts (BoP) have access to potable water from pipelines or bore wells, Parliament’s Standing Committee on Home Affairs has revealed.
“The committee is surprised to observe that in 82 per cent of the BoPs, drinking water is obtained from rivulets and springs which are polluted and at some places the level of contamination is alarming,” the committee said in its report tabled in Parliament on December 12.
Responsible for peacetime management of the 3,488-km long boundary with China, the ITBP has 176 BoPs located at altitudes ranging from 9,000-18,750 ft.
The 89,000 strong force has 32 out of its 56 service battalions deployed on border guarding duties in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
The remaining battalions are on internal security and anti-Naxal duties or are rotated for rest and recuperation.
To remove contamination, a system of boiling water for five minutes is in practice and a “sufficient” number of water filters and RO units have been provided at BoPs.
While deep or low bore wells have been installed at formations where feasible, the ITBP has developed a concept of a permanent integrated BoP building for high altitude areas which are centrally heated structures containing all amenities, including inbuilt bore wells.
Pointing out that clean drinking water is a fundamental right of every person, the committee has asked the ITBP to make proper provisions for clean and safe drinking water at all BoPs immediately and submit a special report in this regard within six months.
The committee also found that only 24 per cent of the BoPs have regular electricity supply while the remaining 76 per cent are dependent on generators that generally run for 1-2 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.