By Raja Akbar

Langate, June 25 (KNS): Residents of various villages in Langate, located in north Kashmir's Kupwara district, have been without drinking water for the past month. The concerned department has done little to address the issue, leaving locals frustrated.

According to KNS Correspondent, dozens of villages in the Langate constituency are experiencing severe water scarcity. Many people are forced to drink unsafe water from the Hardikari River, risking waterborne diseases.

Residents from Tehsil Qalamabad, Jahama, Dar Mallah, and Ganie Mallah report facing severe hardships due to the lack of drinking water. They are compelled to consume contaminated river water, with women often fetching water from streams shared with animals.

“There is no drinking water in our village, and we are forced to drink contaminated canal water, which is unhealthy and hazardous,” said Mohd Ramzan of Jahama Haril.

Abdul Kabir from Jahama also expressed his frustration.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“We are compelled to walk 2-3 kilometers every day to fetch water from a canal. The government keeps promising us drinking water, but nothing has changed.”

Another local woman added, “There is no drinking water facility in our area, and we are forced to drink water accumulated in paddy fields. The government launched a water supply scheme a year ago, but it has never worked for us.”

Thousands of people in Tehsil Qalamabad Mawer are similarly affected. The acute water scarcity in this area has become a regular issue as authorities fail to take measures to resolve it.

When contacted, the Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti Department in Handwara stated that a new water scheme is almost 90% complete, and water has been restored to some villages. He assured that the remaining villages would soon have their water supply restored.(KNS)