‘Acute’ water scarcity triggers protest in Sopore
Sopore: Amid Snowfall scores of women of Takiabal and Mohalla Sheikh Sahib of Sopore area in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Monday staged a protest against Jal Shakti department for ‘failing’ to provide them regular water supply.
The protesters assembled at Iqbal Market Sopore outside Jal Shakti department and blocked the road, affecting the traffic movement for hours.
They said that the residents are facing acute water shortage for the past one week, adding that the department was forcing them to consume water available from river and streams.
“We are worst affected due to non- availability of adequate water supply,” Shakeela Begum, one of the protesters, said.
She said that the locals approached the concerned officials many times but nothing has been done in this regard.
She said that people are being forced to consume contaminated water, which has affected their health.
“This has having a bad impact on us especially our children,” she added.
Meanwhile, Executive Engineer Jal Shakti department Sopore Ghulam Rasool said that the continuous breakdown of electricity lead to the shortage of water in the area.
He said that one of the water scheme did not function properly as one of its motors had developed a technical snag.
“The workers are on the job and the motor is being repaired,” he added.
He further said that the grievances of the people of town and its surroundings will be resolved soon as the department will come up with a new water supply schemes.
Bilal Ahmad
