Handwara’s Krum Hoora village grapples with water crisis for ‘70 years’

Handwara, Aug 7: Krum Hoora, a village in Kupwara’s Handwara belt, has been grappling with a severe water crisis for the past 70 years. The residents are accusing the concerned department and representatives of failing to deliver on their repeated promises.
The village, situated 12 kilometres from the sub-district headquarters of Handwara and 30 kilometres from the district headquarters of Kupwara, has a population of around 1,700 people and approximately 250 households.
The residents said that they have been forced to rely on unhygienic sources of water for decades, which has taken a heavy toll on their health.
“We are tired of being promised fake solutions,” said a resident. “We are forced to drink unhygienic water, which has affected our health and our children’s education.”
The villagers are frustrated that despite repeated assurances, the water crisis remains unresolved. “We fear that if our water woes are not addressed urgently, we may face a tragedy like the Rajpora Rajwara incident,” said another resident.
They said the approved Water Supply Scheme (Checki Sarmarg Krumhoora) under JJM has been pending for years. “The department has failed to execute the work on the project. We don’t understand why they are ignoring our plight,” they said.
The villagers have accused local representatives of politicizing the issue and failing to take concrete action. “It seems they don’t consider us as their own,” said an elderly man. “We wonder if they truly care about our plight.”
Despite repeated attempts to reach Sulaiman Mir, the concerned DDC member, he did not answer multiple calls.
Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Division Handwara Er Bilal Ahmed Malik said that the department is focusing on addressing water shortages in several villages, including Sarmarg.
He acknowledged that Krum Hoora has a water source but added that it is not sufficient. “We will not leave any village without the water supply,” he said. “All we need is patience.”
Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Ayushi Sudan was unavailable for comment. (KNO)