Srinagar, Nov 10(KNS): For over a decade, the residents of Zado Gujjar Basti on DK Marg area of Kulgam district have been enduring a severe shortage of potable water, despite repeated government assurances under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme.

The community, primarily made up of low-income families, has lacked reliable access to clean drinking water since 2012. Women in particular are disproportionately affected, enduring exhausting daily treks of over 2.5 kilometers to fetch water, often facing extreme physical strain and frustration.

The 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme, aimed at providing water to every household by 2024, has yet to reach this marginalized community. “We have been suffering for years,” said Sakeela, a resident of the basti. “Every day, we have to walk long distances to fetch water. There is no help from the government. Why are we being neglected?”

The burden of fetching water primarily falls on the women in the community, who not only face long waits at water sources but also struggle to carry heavy containers back home.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“The walk is exhausting. We often wait for hours to fill our containers and then carry them back, which is especially difficult during the summer,” shared Jeebana, another resident.

The situation is particularly dire during the hot months, when the water supply dwindles, and the wait at distant water sources can stretch for hours. Despite numerous complaints to local authorities and promises of resolution, the residents report that water supply pipelines have either not been extended to their area or are in such a poor condition that they remain unreliable.

An official said that the area is at a higher elevation, which makes water supply challenging.

"However, we are already working on a solution, and residents will begin receiving drinking water by the first week of December," he said.(KNS).