Residents allege 15-year drinking water crisis in Pulwama’s Sanzwatpora
Seek urgent government intervention
Pulwama: Residents of Sanzwatpora village in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district have voiced strong resentment over the lack of a reliable drinking water supply, alleging that the issue has remained unresolved for nearly 15 years despite repeated promises by elected representatives and several interventions by the concerned department.
The villagers alleged that both former MLA Mohammad Khalil Bandh and the current MLA Waheed Ur Rehman Parra had assured them on multiple occasions that the long-pending drinking water problem would be addressed. However, they claimed that no concrete steps have been taken to provide a functional water supply to the village.
According to the residents, officials from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, now known as the Jal Shakti Department, have laid water pipelines in the area several times over the years.
Despite the repeated installation of pipes, they alleged that household water connections have never been provided, leaving the entire village without access to a regular supply of potable water.
“Every few years we see new pipes being laid, but the water never reaches our homes. We have been hearing assurances for years, yet our taps remain dry. It has become a never-ending ordeal,” said a local resident.
Another villager said that the absence of safe drinking water has forced people to depend on contaminated and unsafe sources, exposing families to serious health risks.
“We are compelled to consume water from unsafe sources. Many residents, especially children and the elderly, frequently suffer from water-borne illnesses. Cases of jaundice have also been reported in the village in the past due to contaminated water,” the resident alleged.
The villagers said the prolonged crisis has severely affected their daily lives, with women and children often travelling long distances to fetch water for drinking and other household needs.
“We have repeatedly approached the authorities and our elected representatives, but our grievances have largely gone unheard. Access to clean drinking water is a basic necessity and our village has been deprived of it for far too long,” another resident said.
The residents have appealed to the district administration and the Jal Shakti Department to conduct an immediate assessment of the situation, provide functional household water connections, and ensure an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to the village.
They urged the authorities to treat the matter on priority, saying the prolonged neglect has not only caused immense hardship but has also posed a serious threat to public health.
