Kupwara residents choke with thirst, stage protest against occupation regime
Srinagar: Residents in Rajwar area of Kupwara district in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir staged a powerful protest against the authorities for abandoning them to an acute drinking water crisis while turning a blind eye to illegal water theft.
According to Kashmir Media Service, hundreds of men, women and children blocked the road for some time in Sultanpora, raising slogans against the department and holding it directly responsible for the collapse of drinking water supply in the village.
The protesters said that although Sultanpora has a separate water supply line from the Zachaldara reservoir, the village has been deliberately deprived of water due to rampant illegal connections tapped from the main line.
“The department is watching our miseries as mute spectators and doing nothing against those who have taken illegal water connections,” said a protester.
“We have been suffering for a long time. These illegal connections have deprived our village of drinking water and the department has failed to act,” said a female protester.
Angry residents said the issue has been brought to the notice of concerned officials numerous times, but no concrete action has been taken. They said people including children and elderly residents are facing immense hardship due to the shortage of drinking water, with families forced to walk long distances for a few buckets. The protesters demanded immediate removal of all illegal connections and immediate restoration of water supply to Sultanpora.
“If the department fails to restore the drinking water supply and remove the illegal connections at the earliest, we will intensify our agitation and block the main road in protest,” the residents warned.
The demonstration reflects growing public anger in Kupwara against the administration’s failure to provide basic amenities, with locals saying their right to water is being sacrificed to corruption and official apathy.
