Jahangeer Ganaie
Shopian, Nov 21: Residents of Daramdora village in Keegam hamlet of south Kashmir’s Shopian district are grappling with a severe shortage of potable water that has persisted for “several years”.
According to locals, the water supply scheme for the area was established in the 1980s to serve approximately five villages. “However, the population has expanded nearly four times since its inception, but the infrastructure has not improved,” they said.
Daramdora village, in particular, has been facing a prolonged water crisis, with no significant improvements to date, they added.
Abbas Ahmad, a resident, said the existing pipeline is in a deteriorated condition and is no longer capable of meeting the demands of the connected households. While some residences received water for a period, newer houses constructed in the last ten years are yet to be included in the supply network, he said.
Aijaz Ahmad, another local, expressed frustration over the decade-long wait for water supply. “Due to the absence of potable water, we are compelled to fetch drinking from a nearby canal, which has led to illnesses, particularly among the elderly and children,” he said.
Residents criticised authorities for risking their lives by not addressing the issue. They further said that there is no drinking water supply facility available for a school where around 200 students are enrolled.
Despite bringing the matter to the attention of higher authorities on numerous occasions, no tangible action was taken, they alleged.
An official from the Jal Shakti Department said that the area is now included in the Jal Jeevan Mission. “The work on a scheme costing approximately Rs 3.5 crore is going on,” he said, adding that the water supply would be restored soon.
