Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Sept 18: Residents of Kishtwar Mandal, especially those living on the outskirts of the town, staged a strong protest today against the non-availability of water supply for the past one and a half months.
The agitated locals blocked vehicular movement in the town to press for their demands.
The protesters said they have repeatedly apprised the administration of the crisis through delegations, but no action was taken on the ground.
They acknowledged that power feeder lines and water supply schemes were damaged due to recent natural calamities, but expressed anger that the repairs have not been carried out even after more than six weeks.
“The administration should have repaired the damaged utilities by now. Instead, they are only issuing directions from their AC offices without understanding the suffering of the locals on the ground,” said one of the protesters.
He added that water tankers are reaching only about 10 to 15 percent of the population, while those dependent on lift irrigation and other schemes are getting water only after gaps of four to five days.
Residents in the peripheries, he alleged, have been completely ignored.
The protesters accused the authorities of testing the patience of the public and warned that the agitation would be intensified if their demands were not met.
“The administration is in deep slumber ever since the rains caused damage to power, water supply and roads. They are taking the people of Kishtwar for granted,” said another protester.
The locals appealed to the administration to work on the ground and restore supplies without further delay.
They also warned that failure to do so would force them to continue their agitation and the Government would be held responsible for any consequences.
Meanwhile, the protest was called off after senior officials reached the spot and assured the people that water supply would be restored by tomorrow morning.
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