Tanveer Hussain
Budgam, Oct 24: Residents of Khag Budgam are outraged over the PHE Department’s decision to divert irrigation water from the Narayanag spring to supply drinking water to nearby villages.
The villagers held a protest saying that this move would jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of farmers who rely on the spring for irrigation. “The spring is the lifeline of the local agricultural industry, irrigating thousands of canals of land,” they said.
Assistant Executive Engineer Beerwah clarified that water from the spring will only be used for a few months.
Despite these assurances, the villagers remain skeptical, worrying that diverting water for drinking purposes will leave farmers without a reliable source of irrigation.
“The local agricultural industry is already vulnerable, and any disruption to the water supply could have devastating consequences,” the protesters said. [KNT]