Baramulla: A crippling water crisis has engulfed vast swathes of North Kashmir, leaving thousands of residents in Baramulla, Bandipora, and Kupwara districts struggling for every drop as temperatures soar and water taps run dry.
Protests have erupted across multiple villages with furious locals accusing the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department of criminal negligence and repeated failures to complete critical water supply schemes.
With the region reeling under an intense heatwave, the acute drinking water shortage has forced residents to fetch water from unsafe sources such as the Jhelum River, canals, and open streams—many of which are heavily polluted and breeding grounds for disease.
In Pattan area of Baramulla district, villages such as Mirgund, Chanbal, Harthrat Singhpora, Buran, Trikolbal, Hanjivera Payeen, Matipora, Singpora, and Doslipora are among the worst hit. Women and children can be seen queuing at filthy water bodies in a desperate bid to fetch water.
“There is no drinking water in our village. We are forced to drink from canals, which are unhygienic and dangerous,” said Fazi Begum of Doslipora. “The water taps have been dry for weeks.”
Three years ago, Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha inaugurated the Parhaspora Water Supply Scheme, meant to bring relief to Pattan. The project was supposed to be completed within a year but remains unfinished, leaving residents to suffer in scorching heat with no respite.
Efforts to replace the decaying pipeline from Drang Nalla have stalled as no contractor is willing to undertake the work, citing logistical and technical hurdles. As a result, leaks are widespread and water barely reaches its intended destinations.
In Delina, Mohammad Akbar Lone, 35, voiced his frustration: “This is the so-called modern era, yet we have never had clean tap water. The little that comes is foul-smelling and visibly dirty.”
In Doolgund and the upper belt of Rafiabad—including Sherpora, Muran, Sultanpora, and Rapora—the Kalsan Water Supply Scheme has collapsed, rendering hundreds of families waterless. A key pipeline from Botapathri to Trenaran remains incomplete despite the area being rich in natural water sources.
“We walk 3 to 4 kilometers every day to fetch water,” said Raja Begum, a resident of one of these villages. “This is our daily struggle. The government makes promises but delivers nothing.”
In apple-rich Sopore town, residents of Arampora, Hajam Mohalla, and Chankipora are in a similar plight. “Our lives are a living hell,” said Atika Begum of Arampora, who was injured while collecting water from a crowded tanker. “We fight for turns to fill a few buckets. Sometimes the tanker comes after several days, and it’s never enough.”
In Ferozpora Rafiabad, residents are drinking from paddy fields. “Eight years ago, a water scheme was sanctioned but it never worked,” said Nazir Ahmad, a local resident. “We have been crying for help ever since.”
The crisis extends into Baramulla town itself. Areas such as PWD Colony, Kanlibagh, Khanpora, Kadinayar, Kuntur, Sheeri Narvaw, Badmulla, Gulshan Colony, and Drangbal are witnessing dried-up taps and a rising tide of frustration.
Delegations from Binner and Janbazpora reported to Kashmir Images that people have been left “high and dry,” waiting for a single drop. In Hajibal, a remote village, Abdul Rehman Bukhari said, “We are living without any basic amenities, and the government’s silence is deafening.”
Narvaw, comprising nearly 40 villages, is also severely impacted. “Water taps have dried up. We are forced to consume contaminated water from ponds and wells,” said Nazir Ahmad Dar of Gantamulla.
In Bandipora, areas like Ashtengo, Alsoosa, Watpora, Kaloosa, Quil, Malangam, Khenusa, Niberpora, and Papchan are struggling. “There’s not a single drop in our homes,” said Bashir Ahmad, a resident. “The PHE staff are missing in action while we suffer in silence.”
Kupwara and Handwara have also witnessed protests over the worsening crisis. “This is ironic—Kashmir, rich in water resources, is seeing its people beg for water,” said Abdul Qayoom of Kupwara town.
Rajwara and other parts of Kupwara, including Qauilgam, Nagri, Natnusa Kandi, Batpora, Prohopand, Yunsu, Handishart, and Karlgund, are facing their worst-ever water shortage.
Chief Engineer, PHE Jal Shakti Department, Er. Mohammad Taj Chowdhary, admitted the crisis. “Yes, water scarcity increases during summers due to the drying up of streams and rivers,” he told Kashmir Images. “We’ve mobilized our teams to address the situation.”
But for the thousands still waiting for water under a blazing sun, these words offer little comfort.
North Kashmir’s water crisis is not just a civic failure—it is fast becoming a humanitarian one. From incomplete projects to failing infrastructure, the system has let down the very people it was meant to serve. As desperation grows and diseases loom, residents demand more than hollow promises—they want clean, reliable drinking water and they want it now.
