Gopalpora Anantnag residents demand drinking water facilities
Anantnag: Despite being located merely seven kilometres from the Anantnag district headquarters, residents of Gopalpora village continue to grapple with an acute shortage of drinking water, forcing them to appeal to the authorities to address their basic needs before implementing new measures like smart water meters.
Locals said that while they are not opposed to the installation of smart meters, the move has come at a time when the village itself lacks a regular and reliable water supply.
They stressed that introducing meters without ensuring water availability is unjust and impractical.
“We are not against smart meters at all, but what will we measure when there is no water in our taps? First give us water, and then install meters,” said a resident of Gopalpora.
Residents pointed out that a water supply scheme has already been constructed in the village at considerable public expense. However, for reasons unknown to the local population, the scheme has not been commissioned to date, leaving households dependent on springs, private tankers, and distant water sources.
“A complete water supply scheme exists here, pipelines are laid, infrastructure is visible, yet it has never been made functional. Nobody tells us why,” another local said, adding that repeated representations to officials have yielded only assurances.
Women and elderly residents said the water crisis has added to their daily hardships, particularly during winters when fetching water from far-off sources becomes extremely difficult.
“Carrying water for kilometres in cold weather is exhausting. We feel ignored despite living so close to the district headquarters,” said an elderly woman from the village.
The residents urged the Jal Shakti Department and district administration to immediately look into the delay in commissioning the water supply scheme and ensure uninterrupted drinking water before rolling out smart metering.
“Development should begin with basic necessities. Water is a fundamental right, not a luxury,” locals said, warning that continued neglect could force them to intensify their protest.
They appealed to the Deputy Commissioner Anantnag to personally intervene and ensure that the long-pending water supply project is made operational at the earliest, bringing much-needed relief to the people of Gopalpora.
