Bandipora, Dec 02 : Residents of Kanbathi village in Bandipora district blocked the Sopore-Bandipora road on Monday, protesting the prolonged lack of tap water supply in their area.
Protesters told the news agency that despite repeated appeals to the concerned department over the years, the issue remains unresolved. They said a water supply scheme was sanctioned for Kanbathi in 2008, but it has yet to provide drinking water to the residents.
The villagers accused officials of the Jal Shakti department of neglecting their pleas. “The water supply scheme for our area is being shifted elsewhere, forcing us to fetch dirty water from local streams over a kilometre away,” said Bashir Ahmad Kawa, a local resident.
“We suffer every few months. The department promises resolution within two or three months, but nothing changes. Women are forced to walk long distances to bring water for their families,” said Shakeela, another protesting woman.
The locals further said that a pipeline was laid in the area years ago, but the work was left incomplete, leaving residents to suffer, especially during the harsh winter months.
Meanwhile, an official said the work would resume soon and that residents would be provided with drinking water
