Waris Fayaz
Sopore, Apr 29: The residents of Hamiluna Amargrah in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Saturday staged a protest against the Jal Shakti department for “failing” to provide water supply to the area.
The protestors blocked the Srinagar-Sopore highway at Amargrah; however, the traffic was restored after police intervention.
The protesters said they are facing immense hardships due to an acute shortage of drinking water for years.
“We took to the streets a number of times to press for our demands but the authorities remain unmoved and they don’t take any step to mitigate our suffering or resolve this genuine problem,” they said.
The locals said they have to walk miles to fetch water. “Authorities are ignoring us on all fronts. Despite repeated assurances and promises, the Jal Shakti department has failed to provide adequate drinking water to us,” said Firdous Ahmed, a local.
A lady protester criticised the government for its “hollow slogans” like ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’, saying “these claims have fallen flat as we have been suffering due to the scarcity of drinking water supply for several years”.
Due to the non-availability of drinking water, we are forced to consume contaminated water from canals, she added.
Meanwhile, a tehsildar along with DySP Urfan and in-charge SHO Amargrah Police Station pacified the protestors with the assurance that their grievances will be put before the concerned authorities.
An official at the Jal Shakhti department, Sopore said that the issue will be redressed. “However, as of now, the area would be provided with water tankers to meet the emergency,” he said.
