Water crisis deepens in Pulwama’s Pinglena, allege locals
Residents hold second protest in two weeks
Pulwama: The residents of Pinglena village of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Tuesday staged a protest against the acute shortage of drinking water, blocking the Galander–Pulwama road for vehicular traffic for the second time in the last two weeks.
The protesters alleged that the locality has been facing an acute drinking water crisis for nearly three months due to the prolonged disruption of the piped water supply.
They said the situation has worsened amid the ongoing summer heat, forcing families to struggle daily for basic water needs.
Holding placards and raising slogans, the aggrieved residents demanded the immediate restoration of regular drinking water supply, saying repeated representations to the concerned authorities had failed to produce any lasting solution.
“We have been without a regular tap water supply for almost three months. Every day we have to arrange water on our own, which has become extremely difficult, especially during this hot weather,” said a local resident, Mohammad Yousuf.
Another protester, Shabir Ahmad, said residents had already staged a demonstration last week, but the issue remains unresolved.
“We were assured that the problem would be addressed, but nothing has changed. This is why we have been forced to return to the streets. Water is a basic necessity and people cannot be expected to survive like this,” he said.
Women participating in the protest said the shortage has severely affected household work and children’s daily routine.
“We spend hours waiting for water tankers or searching for alternative sources. The water supplied through tankers is not enough for all households,” said Rafiqa Begum, a resident of the locality.
Soon after the protest began, a team from Pulwama Police reached the spot and held discussions with the demonstrators. Following assurances that the matter would be taken up with the concerned department, the protesters dispersed peacefully and traffic on the road was restored.
The residents, however, accused the concerned officials of negligence and urged the authorities to ensure a permanent solution rather than temporary arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Jal Shakti Department has been supplying drinking water to the area through tankers. However, locals said the tanker service is inadequate and falls far short of meeting the daily requirements of the population.
The residents warned that if regular piped water supply is not restored at the earliest, they would be left with no option but to intensify their agitation in the coming days.
