Pulwama, June 20: Several households in Sangerwani village, a remote Gujjar-Bakerwal habitation in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, have been waiting for the installation of tap water connections for over a month, leaving them dependent on polluted water sources.
Residents of Khan Mohalla, a locality within Sangerwani, say at least four families have been without safe drinking water for more than a month.
The affected villagers said that they previously relied on a nearby stream, but water was supplied through old, rusted pipelines.
“The water was turbid and unsafe for human consumption,” said Tufail Ahmad Khan, an elderly resident, “Eventually, we stopped using it and requested the Jal Shakti Department to provide tap connections under the Kandipathri water supply scheme.”
According to Tufail, the department sanctioned pipes and related equipment for the new connections and directed the residents to dig trenches for laying the pipelines.
“After we completed the digging work, the officials failed to lay the pipes,” said another resident, Ayoub Khan, “Instead, we were told to fill the trenches with soil.”
Ayoub further added that after refilling the first trench, the officials asked them to dig a new one.
“Again, we were instructed to plug it. Now they’re asking us to dig at yet another location. We can’t keep doing this, especially when landowners are unwilling to allow digging repeatedly,” he said.
Residents say they are now forced to fetch water from a polluted stream, raising concerns over health and hygiene.
When contacted, the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the Jal Shakti Department, Pulwama, said the matter had been brought to his notice and a junior engineer had been deputed to resolve the issue.
“The residents are demanding connection from a 6-inch pipeline, which could impact the existing water supply to other households,” the AEE said, “They will instead be connected to a 4-inch line to ensure an uninterrupted supply for all.”
The villagers have appealed to higher authorities to intervene and ensure the swift restoration of potable water supply to the affected households.
