Women in Sopore protest acute water shortage, demand immediate restoration
Srinagar: In Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, women from several localities of Sopore town staged a protest on Tuesday against the Jal Shakti Department over acute shortage of drinking water, blocking a key road and demanding immediate restoration of supply.
According to Kashmir Media Service, residents, particularly women, from Sangrampora, Mumkak, Khwaja Gilgit and Khushal Matoo assembled at busy Shah Dargah chowk and halted traffic for nearly an hour. Raising slogans against the authorities, they expressed strong resentment over the prolonged water crisis.
The protesters said they have been deprived of adequate drinking water for the past one month despite repeated requests and complaints. Forced to fetch water from nearby rivers and other unsafe sources, they warned that contaminated water poses serious health risks, especially for children and the elderly.“We have no option but to collect water from the river. The water is not safe for drinking and our children are vulnerable to water-borne diseases,” the women said. They said that despite approaching Jal Shakti officials several times, no concrete steps have been taken and “our grievances have fallen on deaf ears”.
The residents appealed to the District Administration Baramulla and senior Jal Shakti officials to intervene without delay, warning that if the issue remains unresolved they will be compelled to intensify their agitation in the coming days.
