Shopian, Jul 2,: In a strong display of public anger, locals of Nayidgund village in south Kashmir’s Shopian district staged a massive protest on Wednesday against an acute drinking water shortage, bringing traffic on the Highway-444 to a standstill near Shirmal area.
A large number of women carrying empty pitchers blocked the vital highway, shouting slogans against the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for its alleged failure to ensure regular water supply. The protesters said they have been facing an acute water crisis for over two weeks, with no relief from the concerned authorities.
“We are being forced to fetch water from streams and unsafe sources. Despite repeated pleas to the officials, nobody has bothered to respond,” said a protesting woman to Kashmir News Trust.
The protest caused major traffic disruption on the highway, with long queues of vehicles stranded for hours on both sides.
Locals accused the administration of turning a blind eye to their sufferings, despite prior warnings about the deteriorating water situation.
Police and civil officials reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. After assurances of quick redressal by the authorities, the demonstrators dispersed peacefully and the highway was reopened for traffic. [KNT]
