IIOJK authorities’ apathy: Kupwara residents protest years-long water inaccessibility
Srinagar: The residents of several villages in Kupwara district in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir staged a protest against occupation authorities, expressing frustration over the failure to provide basic necessities despite claims of a new era of development in the territory.
According to Kashmir Media Service, residents of the Kandi area of the district protested against the water department for not supplying drinking water for several years. Over five thousand people are suffering due to the acute shortage of water in the area.
The Kandi area comprises eleven villages. Residents from these villages reported that they have been grappling with a severe water shortage for years, with authorities failing to take any effective measures despite repeated appeals.
Due to the lack of tap water, villagers are forced to use contaminated water from local streams, posing serious health risks. Several people have fallen ill with water-borne diseases in recent times.
“We have been moving from pillar to post to get this genuine demand redressed, but to no avail,” the protesters told media representatives. They emphasized the tremendous hardships they face due to the non-availability of water, highlighting that the water department has failed to provide a reliable water supply to over five hundred households.
The residents called on the IIOJK authorities to urgently address their water supply issues to prevent further suffering and health risks in their communities.
