Students suffer as school in Kupwara’s Warpora lacks drinking water supply

Kupwara, Aug 17: Nestled between the hillocks, the Warpora Higher Secondary School in north Kashmir's Handwara Sub District has been craving for drinking water for last several years but to no avail.

The residents of the area have expressed strong resentment against Jal Shakti Department for failing to provide tap water to school thus putting the students and staff into alot of hardships.

"More than four hundred students are enrolled in this institution who are suffering due to shortage of drinking water. Even toilets remain without water most of the time due to which students are unable to use washrooms," Shahnawaz Lone, a local social activist told Greater Kashmir.

He said that earlier Jal Shakti Department Handwara would send a water tanker to school every week but for last several months, water tanker has not arrived at school due to unknown reasons.

"The department can easily provide water to school from a nearby well by laying some thirty odd pipes but don't know why they are reluctant to do so," Lone added.

"We have brought this issue into the notice of Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Department Division Handwara and even district administration has been also apprised about it but nothing has been done in this regard so far," he added.

The residents have now sought immediate intervention of MLA Handwara Sajad Gani Lone in this regard so that the hardships being faced by students and staff members may end.

The newly posted Deputy Chief Education Officer Handwara, Mohammad Rafiq told Greater Kashmir that he will personally visit the school and shall take up the matter with Jal Shakti Department so that water is provided to students at the earliest.