The constituency comes under the urban area of Leh and is the main city where people from different far flung areas comes with big hopes.  It is the place where the migration increases year by year.  With the increase in population, people faces the problem of basic amenities. We have places like Skalzangling, the prime area where all the garages and workshop is there and is not less than a small Leh main market. People complain about the public toilet which is needed on the priority basis since the area is populated because of a number of shops and workshop. 

 

Some areas are waiting for the water pipeline to get functional. In Skampari, the complain is on the unplanned and unmaintained lay down of the pipes which have created a big question in the mind of the people.   The network of the Doordarshan is yet another issue faced by the people of this area. After series of complaint about the non-availability of the service to the concerned department and authorities, no solution has been taken up.

  

Overall the constituency is more into the issue faced by the ongoing project which is aimed for better future but at present has created havoc in the life of people. Specially for the sewage drainage system people have many issues. The blame game is an obvious thing played by everyone whether it’s a party, public, department and any other people involved in this. 

 

Phuntsog Wangdan, Councillor: The prime issue is drinking water   in Lower Leh. People were facing difficulties because of water problems till 2016. Presently we have few places where the habitants are getting a door to door water supply. But still we have many areas which are still pending. 

 

Few of the places didn’t come into the project plan because the DPR of this project was made in 2007 when there was no habitant  in some of the areas of Skampari and Ibex colony at that time but now these area  has become a residential area.  The area Skyanos Gogsum also was not in a plan because of the hilly area and most importantly it comes under the heritage area.

 

One among the problem is that every year around 50 new settlements is recorded in the Lower Leh. Provision of basic facilities becomes equally important. Water, electricity supply is their right which can’t be ignored whether they are in the voter list or not. 

 

The sewage pipeline under the project is a very complicated and debatable issue. Some areas are in the plan and the problem arises in the laying down of the pipes and some are not even in a plan. Regarding the water pipeline, it should be reached to each and every household and I am working on to make every area get listed in the plan.

 

I have made a schedule with all the representative of each and every area under my constituency to redress the grievances and issue on every 15 of the month. The effort is to understand the problem and get a solution to it. 

 

Regarding the lands allotment issue, I along with the representative had a meeting with the Tehsildar for which he assured to get it done in 20 days. 

 

About Public toilet requirement in Skalzangling, I will say, the budget for this is under Ladakh Development Authority and NAC. This year we have around 35 toilets sanctioned for Lower Leh which will be distributed according to the needs and priority. From my opinion areas like Skampari and Skalzangling needs this facility because of densely populated and a number of shops and motor garages. 

 

I personally feel that involvement of councillor actively in all the project and plan carried out for the betterment is very important in the future.  I strongly stand by my opinion that the funds for the urban development need to be utilised strictly for the same purpose rather than somewhere else.

Electricity issues in some areas can only be solved after the installation of new transformers, the requirement needs to put in the plan.

 

The problem for the basic requirement like water, electricity will rise ever year because of the increasing number of migration. This is faced because no research or  studies were done or monitored properly on the migration.  I   am stressing on the studies to be done specially in the area where the migration are more prone to increase practically without going into the technical way.   From our own initiative with the help of the representative, we are collecting the data of each and every household, the land owned and the barren lands. The reports collected will be presented to the hill council which will provide an idea about the area which is prone to the migration. 

 

The only solution for this ongoing project is that during the work personal responsibility and intervention is very important to check and improve the work. I personally visit all the area where the work is carried out in my constituency. This year the Fort road, Old road and Housing Colony area will be covered completely including the black topping. Only after this completion the work will be carried further in different other area. The areas which are not in the plan have been included.

 

Conclusion: 

 

The more promising and better Leh we expect and see from the Leh beautification project has more of criticism and the big question in the mind of people in the beginning. The sewage system is one of the biggest issues and the matter of concern.  Councillor Lower Leh from his personal opinion finds it a failed project.

 

Public complaints about the unplanned and lack of systemic work that has been carried out. He said the work will be carried out further only after the completion of the pending works. 

Councilor Phuntsog Wangdan plans to take up every new project and planning on a priority basis. 

 

The matter of blame game for every failure of the work is very common and an obvious thing. Thus, the need of the hour is to take responsibility by the people where the work is in progress to improve and to avoid problems in the future. 

 

The huge project which is aimed to make Leh a better place to live with a door to door water supply, the sewage drainage system has more of criticising in the beginning. Is all this criticism from the people is because of the absence of planning expert, lack of coordination among the departments, unplanned and lack of systematic working, or the impatient nature of the public, is still the big question mark.