Civilians, cops injured in clashes as water protest turns violent in Pattan

Baramulla, July 19: A protest against the scarcity of drinking water in the Chenbal area of Pattan in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district turned violent on Friday morning resulting in injuries to several civilians and cops.

Several vehicles were also damaged during the clashes.

The protest started after scores of locals at Chenbal Pattan gathered on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway and blocked the vehicular movement.

The protesters were raising slogans against the administration for their failure to provide drinking water in the area, especially during the days of Muharram.

Following the highway blockage, the traffic movement came to a standstill on the highway and all the vehicles including ambulances were trapped in the traffic blockage for several hours.

Following the traffic blockage, the Jammu and Kashmir Police personnel rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the protesters so that the traffic movement on the highway would be restored.

However, the situation escalated when despite repeated requests from the Police, the protesters did not disperse and continued to block the traffic on the highway. The situation turned violent after some of the protesters started pelting stones at the Police, resulting in injuries to several cops besides some civilians.

Scores of vehicles stranded in the traffic blockage were damaged in the incident.

Police later resorted to a cane charge and fired several rounds of tear smoke shells to disperse the agitating protesters.

Meanwhile, the PSO of BJP’s media in-charge Kashmir, Sajid Yousuf Shah and social media incharge, Sahil Bashir Bhat suffered injuries after their vehicle came under stone pelting.

Their vehicle was also damaged in the incident.

Soon after the incident, the top officials of the Baramulla district administration and Police besides officials of the Jal Shakti Department including the Chief Engineer rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Baramulla, Ashok Amod Nagpuri, on the microphone, urged the agitating people not to resort to stone pelting which was not in any way solution to their problem. He urged them to engage with the district officials in a democratic way as there was no space for violence in democracy.

Later, SSP Baramulla met with the elders of the area and assured them that the administration is duty bound to address their issue which can be resolved peacefully.

The Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Minga Sherpa along with several district officials also visited the area and assured the people of the area that their problem would soon end.

He said the Chenbal and its adjoining villages were historically a water deficit area.

Sherpa said that considering the long pending demand of drinking water supply to the area, the administration had already initiated work on the Parihaspora Water Supply Scheme which would be completed at Rs 7 crores under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

On this occasion, Chief Engineer Jal Shakti Department Vivek Kohli who rushed to the spot after the incident said that a permanent solution to the drinking water problem for the water-deficit areas of Pattan would soon be a reality with the completion of the Parihaspora Water Supply Scheme.

He said that under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a comprehensive Parihaspora Water Supply Scheme was almost in the final stage of completion and it would take just six months to complete.