Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 3: “After the intervention by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the dispute over sharing of Kahmil stream irrigation water in the North Kashmir’s Kupwara district ended today with farmers of Handwara and Kupwara constituencies agreeing to follow the agreement that was brokered by the Deputy Commissioner Kupwara, Itrat Hussain last week”, sources in the district administration said.
At least three dozen people including Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of Jammu and Kashmir police were injured and National Panthers Party (NPP) Member Legislative Council (MLC) had close shave as the farmers of several villages of Handwara fought pitched battles with those of Kupwara over sharing of irrigation water in the North Kashmir’s Kupwara this week.
The trouble started after the farmers of dozens of villages of Handwara constituency of National Conference leader and Cabinet Minister, Chowdhery Ramzan used earth movers in the stream to draw more water from the Kahmil stream. This led to low discharge for the paddy fields of Kupwara villages leading to irrigation water crisis in Kupwara.
This irked the farmers of dozens of villages of Kupwara constituency of NC leader and Cabinet Minister Mir Saifullah and farmers went on war path and tried to use force to draw their share of water from Kahmil irrigational canal.
The Kahmil canal feeds thousands of acres of paddy land of scores of villages of Handwara Assembly constituency including those of Ramhal, Vilgam, Dahama, Punzoo, Tarathpora and Magam and Kupwara Assembly constituency including those of Kralpora, Trehgam, Shumnag, Batargam, Gushi, Nagri and Hatmulla.
Sources in the district Administration said that it had become a big issue for them to resolve the crisis as the two Cabinet Ministers had locked horns over the issue and the district administration was helpless.
Sources said that district administration had a sigh of relief after the Chief Minister asked both the Ministers who were supporting the farmers of their respective constituencies to keep off from fuelling the irrigation water crisis.
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