ANANTNAG: Severe drinking water shortage has crip*pled normal life in Pushkeri and Vidai villages of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, with locals accusing the administration of failing to provide even basic facilities. The crisis, which has persisted for three days, forced many households to walk long distances to fetch potable water.
In a move that has drawn wide appreciation, the Sirhama Company of 3 Rashtriya Rifles stepped in after receiving appeals from village elders and arranged an emergency water supply to meet the immediate needs of the residents.
Locals said the administration’s silence during the crisis reflected deep neglect. “We were left on our own. It was only after the Army intervened that our families could breathe easy,” a villager remarked.
Officials maintained that the Army’s support was provided purely as a humanitarian measure, and claimed that the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department is working to restore the regular supply. However, locals argued that such assurances have been heard before, while recurring shortages continue to haunt them.
“The problem is not new. Every summer we suffer, and every year officials promise solutions which never come,” said a local to the news agency Kashmir News Trust, urging the government to take accountability instead of depending on emergency relief.
While villagers expressed gratitude to the Army for its prompt response, they pressed the authorities to find a permanent and reliable solution to the water scarcity that has plagued the region for years. [KNT]