Promises run dry as Kupwara village residents without drinking water

Kupwara, Aug 08: The residents of Ananwan, Kralgund area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district are up in arms against the Jal Shakti Department for failing to provide drinking water to them.

The residents said that they were without potable water for the last several years but the authorities were watching their miseries as mute spectators and doing nothing.

“We are fed up with the false promises of the concerned department of providing us tap water. Although every habitation is supposed to get tap water under the Jal Jeevan Mission, we don’t know why our village is still uncovered,” said a resident of the village.

“The department has taken us for a ride, leaving no option for us other than staging a protest. After numerous representations to the government, nothing concrete has been done so far,” he said.

The residents said that they were forced to pay Rs 500 to tractor drivers on alternate days to fetch drinking water for them.

“Due to the prevailing heat wave, even the wells and streams in the village have dried up, multiplying our problems,” they said.

Assistant Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Department Handwara Division, Adnan Ashraf told Greater Kashmir that the work on a new scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission for Ananwan village was in progress.

“Almost 70 percent of work has been completed and hopefully in a month’s time, people will get potable water,” he said.