Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Aug 29: Due to the strike of temporary workers of the Jal Shakti Department for the last few months, there is a huge shortage of drinking water in the entire Jammu and Kashmir UT including Samba district forcing people to hold demonstrations at various places in the district.
Expressing their resentment against water crisis today, the people of Nai Kali village on Samba -Srinagar Dhar road held a massive demonstration against the Jal Shakti Department by closing the road for one hour. The protesters including women and children raised slogans against the Jal Shakti Department.
While talking to media, the local people said that the water supply is suspended for the last three months and the situation is that they are forced to use contaminated water of ponds and nallahs. They said that even water tankers are not able to reach everywhere. And in such a situation, the Jal Shakti Department is not even repairing the damaged motor. The protestors said that as soon as the motor is repaired, it gets damaged immediately.
The demonstration led long jam on both sides of road and tehsildar Samba, Rampaul Sharma and SHO Samba, Deepak Jasrotia reached on the spot and got the Dhar road smoothened for movement of vehicles. On the other hand, tehsildar Samba assured the people that their problem would be solved soon.
Meanwhile, people of Garh Mandi also demonstrated against drinking water crisis which they are facing for last one month.
They accused the Jal Shakti Department of not supplying water for the last one month. The protest was led by local councilors, Maheshwar Raj, Uttam Chand, Raj Singh and Sarpanch Ravinder Singh Lavlu. During this, the local people and especially the women expressed their anger against the Jalshakti Department by breaking pots and raising slogans against the Departmental officers. Local women said that drinking water has not been supplied in their area for the last one month due to which they are facing huge problems without water. Shobha Rani, a woman involved in the demonstration, Santosh Rani said that drinking water was not being provided to the Departmental officers despite being informed repeatedly.
She said that if drinking water supply is not resumed they will be forced to gather at the district headquarters and block the National Highway.
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