Gazeryal residents stage protest against water scarcity

Kupwara Dec 18: The residents of Gazeryal Monday held a protest against Jal Shakti department for failing to ensure regular supply of potable drinking water to the area for the past several years.

A group of residents, mostly women, appeared before the Deputy Commissioner office and staged a protest, bringing traffic to a complete halt for some time. The protesters were raising slogans against the Jal Shakti department for failing to mitigate their genuine concern.

They alleged that the area was reeling under acute shortage of water for the past six years yet the authorities had failed to restore water supply or take any tangible measure despite repeated pleas.

The protesters said that the Jal Shakti department haS taken them for a ride, leaving them with no option but to stage the protest. They said that they had taken up the issue with the concerned authorities on several occasions in the past but to no avail.

“We have been forced to hit the streets as the government has failed to mitigate our problems,” said a female protestor. The residents said that they used to get a water tanker from Jal Shakti Department Kupwara but due to unknown reasons they have been deprived of the same which has added to their woes.

"Since most of the men in our locality shift to other parts of the country during winters to earn their livelihood, the women folk are subjected to severe hardships with regard to getting drinking water for their family. We have to pay Rs 500 after every three days to tractor drivers to fetch us drinking water," said another protestor.

"Six years before work on the Drangyari-Gazeryal water scheme was started but that is yet to be completed due to reasons best known to the concerned authorities," she added.

Later protestors were pacified by administration following which they dispersed peacefully. Meanwhile Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Department Kupwara paid a visit to Gazeryal and assured people of providing them water tankers on a regular basis till the Drangyari-Gazeryal water scheme was restored.