Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 4: The residential quarters and guard rooms at the Power Development Department complex in the Bemina area of Srinagar have been without drinking water for the past four days, causing immense suffering for the employees and their families.
According to employees, at least 10-quarters, guard rooms and 5-store offices are affected, and the employees have accused the Jal Shakti Department of being indifferent to their plight. “We have been suffering for the past three days without drinking water, and the officials of the Jal Shakti department are unmoved,” an employee said.
The employees have been repeatedly calling the Jal Shakti Department for the restoration of the water supply, but their requests have been ignored. The lack of drinking water is causing hardship for the employees and their families, who have travelled from far-off places to perform their duties at the complex. “I am an employee at the PDD, and when I can restore electricity during night hours, why cannot they work in the evening to restore the water supply?” another employee said.
Zubair Ahmad, an employee at the Jal Shakti Department, said that they had demanded a new water line as the older arrangement was insufficient to cater to their needs. He said that their department had completed all the necessary formalities, including the technical sanction and feasibility report, but the JKPDCL had yet to ensure funds for the purpose.
The employees urged the Jal Shakti Department and the JKPDCL to resolve the matter on a humanitarian basis, as water is a basic necessity of life. “The situation highlights the need for a better infrastructure to ensure that the basic needs of employees and their families are met, especially in critical facilities such as Power Development Department complexes,” an employee said.