Sangarwani Pulwama locality forced to drink contaminated water

Pulwama, Jun 22: Residents of Khan Mohalla, an outlying village in the Sangarwani area of Pulwama district, are being forced to consume turbid piped water, raising serious health concerns among them.

According to residents, the water is being supplied directly from a nearby stream without any filtration.

Mohammad Ayoub Khan, a resident, said the Jal Shakti Department has laid a 4-inch pipeline to supply the untreated water to households. "We have long been demanding filtered water from the nearby Kandipathri supply scheme," Khan said.

Another resident recalled that the area was previously supplied water through the same pipeline but locals had stopped using it due to its high turbidity.

"We used that water only for laundry. Eventually, we completely abandoned it and demanded connections from Kandipathri," he said.

However, to the residents' dismay, the Jal Shakti Department recently reconnected the same old pipeline instead of providing filtered water.

Locals allege that the consumption of contaminated water has led to a surge in waterborne diseases in the past, including jaundice, in the area.

They appealed to the authorities to intervene and ensure a safe and filtered water supply to the village.