Danishwar Hameed
Devsar (Kulgam), Nov 29: A year after the government’s promise to provide tap water to every household in Jammu and Kashmir by March 2022, residents of Nawa Chowgam village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district are still without a regular water supply. On Friday, the villagers staged a protest against the Jal Shakti Department, expressing their frustration over the continued lack of drinking water in the area.
Locals have been repeatedly urging the authorities to address the issue, but claim their concerns have gone unheard. “We have been moving from pillar to post, but the authorities have failed to provide us with a regular water supply for the past couple of years. The situation is only getting worse,” one resident said.
The shortage of water has left many villagers, especially women, struggling to meet even basic needs. “Due to the severe water scarcity, we have to walk long distances twice a day to fetch water. We use these pitchers just to meet the basic needs of cooking and drinking,” said Rafiqa Banoo, a local woman.
The residents are urging the government to take immediate action and resolve the crisis so they can live without this daily hardship.
Rafiq Ahmad, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of PHE Division Qazigund, acknowledged the issue and assured that efforts are being made to address it. “I acknowledge that Nawa Chowgam village has been facing an acute shortage of water. However, we have been working tirelessly on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Scheme. Around 80% of the work has been completed, but progress was hindered due to resistance from some local dwellers. We have escalated the matter to higher authorities, and I assure the residents that within weeks, the work will be completed, and water supply will be restored,” he said.
