Srinagar: Most of the areas in Downtown here are facing acute shortage of drinking water.
The areas in Downtown which are affected by shortage of water include- Rainawari and its adjacent areas, Qamarwari, Rajouri Kadal, Zadibal, Hawal, Alamgari Bazar, Rajouri Kadal, Nalamar Nawa Kadal, Bohri Kadal, Nowhatta, Lal Bazar, Saida Kadal, Kawdara, Eidgah, Maharaj Gunj, Zaina Kadal and Noorbagh.
Residents said that the taps have been running dry for the past 20 days. They have complained to the authorities many times, but no action has been taken.
“This is injustice to us,” said Nazima Begum, a resident of Koundabal Rainawari. “In this scorching heat, water is life. We are facing hardships due to water shortage.”
Saleema Manzoor, another resident, said that they have been suffering from the water shortage for a year.
“Initially, the smell of the drinking water was so bad that we were scared of contracting a water-borne disease,” she said. “Then that issue took a long time to get solved. Now, we are facing a shortage of water.”
The residents of Downtown areas told Greater Kashmir that they brought into the notice of concerned officials many times but nobody is paying heed to the repeated pleas. The situation has gone from bad to the worst for the last two weeks,” said locals from Downtown areas.
Officials of Jal Shakti Department said that they have received many complaints regarding the drinking water shortage especially from Downtown areas.
“We are trying to fix the problems. In some areas there are problems with the water pipes. Water pipes were affected,” an official in the department said.
Chief Engineer Jal Shakti (PHE) Department Kashmir Sanjeev Malhotra refused to comment on the water scarcity. “I am not in the story business… I am in service industry,” he replied.