Kupwara: The residents of NeeliporaMagam in Handwara are suffering due to the absence of portable drinking water.
The residents said that they were facing acute shortage of water for the past several years but the authorities had failed to take any tangible measure despite repeated pleas.
The residents said that due to non-availability of tap water they were forced to use contaminated water from a local stream which poses threat to their lives due to water-borne diseases.
“We are forced to walk several kilometres to-and-fro everyday to fetch water from a nearby canal but the concerned department is watching as a mute spectator,” said a local. “We are unable to figure out why the government is non-serious pertaining to our long-pending issue.”
According to locals, work on a borewell was initiated last year but that has been left halfway due to unknown reasons.
“We have been moving from pillar to post to get this genuine demand redressed but every time our pleas fell to deaf ears,” the residents said.
They have sought immediate intervention of Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Imam Din in this regard so that their grievance is redressed at the earliest.