Baramulla: Inhabitants of Chalkoo Rafiabad in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district staged strong protest demonstration on Baramulla–Kupwara highway and blocked vehicular movement for hours on Thursday against the acute shortage of drinking water in the area.
Witnesses said that residents of the Chalkoo village mostly women took to streets and blocked Baramulla–Kupwara highway and chanted slogans against PHE department for its failure to maintain regular water supply forcing them to come on roads.
“We are suffering badly in this hot summer due to acute shortage of drinking water. It is quite difficult for our women to fetch water from nearby canal and river. We are forced to drink contaminated,” said a protesting woman Hafeeza Begum.
The protesters alleged that matter has been brought to the notice of the concerned authorities but no improvement has been witnessed.
Later, Tehsildar Baramulla Moin Ahmed Kakroo reached on the spot and assured the protesting people that water supply will be resorted immediately and thus the protest was called off peacefully.
Meanwhile, AEE PHE Baramulla Division Ab Qayoom when contacted said that a water service line was damaged by Road and Building department when they were carrying out a developmental work in the area, adding that a team of PHE department has been sent to the area and water supply will be restored soon.
