Hajin, Bandipora: Amid the holy month of Ramadhan, Hajin town in North Kashmir’s Bandipora district is facing an acute shortage of drinking water, leaving thousands of residents distressed.
Locals including women on Monday took to the streets and blocked the road near the main market to press for their demands.
They accused the district administration and concerned authorities of failing to provide an adequate water supply to the town, which has a population of nearly 20,000.
According to residents, the issue arose after a road cave-in damaged the water supply pipes. Despite the passage of several days, the authorities have yet to restore the supply, leaving people without access to drinking water.
The protesters urged the district administration to take immediate steps to repair the damaged pipelines and restore the water supply to prevent further inconvenience during the sacred month.
“Authorities are ignoring our grievances, forcing us to fetch water from wells and rivers for our daily household chores,” a local resident said.
“It has been 13 days since our taps ran dry, yet no action has been taken,” another resident lamented, adding that the crisis has made fasting even more difficult.
“During Ramadhan, water consumption increases, especially during Sehri and Iftar. It is extremely challenging to observe fasts without a proper water supply,” they added.
Residents have appealed to the authorities to address the crisis at the earliest to ease their hardships during this holy month.
Talking to Kashmir Convener, Tehsildar Hajin Abdul Wasi-ul-Rouf Deva, assured that the water crisis would be resolved soon. He said that water has already been supplied to the affected areas through three water tankers on a routine basis.
Meanwhile, Junior Engineer (JE) of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department assured this reporter that the water supply would be restored within two days.
“We are laying new pipes from tomorrow to ensure the water supply is restored in Hajin,” he said.
