Several villages in south Kashmir’s Shopian district have been reeling under acute shortage of water for the past many years, causing hardships to the locals.
The harsh winter is already knocking at the door of the village Shadab Karewa in South Kashmir’s Shopian district, and residents of Bhat Mohalla, Khan Mohalla, Tulsi Mohalla and Mir Mohalla are suffering from a severe water shortage that is not expected to end soon.
The locals told the Kashmir News Service (KNS), that the Jal Shakti Department has been unable to ensure a regular supply of potable drinking water to the area since years now.
They said that the locals of the area registered a strong protest and demanded that the water supply should be regularised as soon as possible. “Despite living in the 21st century, our women still have to walk miles to fetch water for their families. It is unclear to me why portable water isn’t provided despite all the talk of development in the area,” they said.
What other benefits can we expect from the development ,” said Abdul Rasheed Khan, a local resident of the village. During the winter time, the people claim that they have to hire vehicles to bring water from adjoining areas.
“The claims of Jal Shakti Department are unreal, they claim that every house hold has access to portable drinking water but the reality of our village is something else,” the Villagers said. “We have to pay for the vehicles from our own pocket. The access to portable water, which otherwise is our basic right, has become dearer to us,” said another local resident.
The residents also demanded that the authorities need to install deep borewells in the area so that the water woes are reduced and the people can live a dignified life. The Jal Shakti Department also needs to augment staff in the area in order to maintain proper supply and monitoring.
The residents want to be part of the development process in the Union Territory but are lagging behind as their basic survival needs are not met.
They have time and again registered their protest to the Jal Shakti Department but all in vain. They have also appealed the district authorities, specifically the Deputy Commissioner of Shopian to address their problems on war footing.
