Hajin town residents aghast at muddy water supply

Bandipora, Mar 12: The residents of Hajin town in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have raised concerns over the supply of muddy water following a downpour over a week ago.

According to the residents, the water is unfit for washing clothes let alone consumption.

“We receive muddy water almost year-round due to the lack of filtration plants,” a group of residents said.

They said that the local water supply scheme endangers the health of at least 18,000 residents.

“For at least five days since the downpour, we have been receiving muddy water,” said Zahoor Ahmad Parray, a local.

He said that their complaints to the department had been ignored.

The locals said that continuous consumption of unfiltered water poses risks of water-borne diseases.

They accused the Public Health Engineering (PHE) staff of irresponsible behaviour, attributing the water supply issues to the staff's prolonged tenure without transfer. “The local staff here has been acting like dictators. With no accountability, conditions have deteriorated,” they said.

The immediate demand of the residents is the cleaning of the overhead water tank, which supplies water to the town, and the activation of the filtration plant.

The locals said that for now, they receive water that is untreated before distribution.