Baramulla, July 19, KNT: A peaceful protest against the ongoing water shortage in the Chainbal Pattan village of North Kashmir’s Baramulla district turned violent on Friday, with demonstrators clashing with police and demanding immediate action from the government.
The protest, which began earlier in the day, saw hundreds of residents gathering on the Srinagar-Baramulla Highway, holding placards and chanting slogans against the Public Health Engineering Department. However, the situation escalated when despite repeated requests from the local police, the protesters didn’t disperse and continued to block the traffic on the Highway. Some protesters hurled stones and police responded with tear gas and baton charges.
Several people were injured in the clashes, including a few policemen. During the clashes, several vehicles were damaged.
Local political leader Imran Reza Ansari held local police responsible and alleged that live ammunition was used to crush protesters. Sources said that SHO Pattan was not present on the spot and was busy with some court proceedings.
One of the locals told the news agency Kashmir News Trust that for the last 50 years, Chainbal and other adjacent villages have been facing water scarcity issues. He alleged that successive government representatives failed to address this grave issue.
Shortly after the clashes, DC Baramulla Minga Sherpa, SSP Baramulla Ashok Amod Nagpuri, and top officials from the PHE Department rushed to the spot and pacified the protesters. DC Baramulla assured the locals that the water shortage issue would be addressed promptly. “We understand the frustration and anger of the people, and we are committed to resolving the issue as soon as possible,” he said adding that under the JJM scheme, a water pipe is to be laid at a cost of Rs 7 crore. “Over 70% work on that scheme has been completed and hopefully it will take 6 to 7 months now. We will work tirelessly to ensure that every household has access to clean drinking water and this problem gets resolved for good.
SSP Baramulla Ashok Amod Nagpuri while justifying the demand of the protesters said that drinking water will be made available to the people. He said the administration, police, and people are on the same page and all have been working together cordially.
The water shortage has been a major concern for locals in the village for several years now, with many villages receiving inadequate water supply. The government has promised to increase the water supply coming from Srinagar and Ganderbal districts.
In response to a question, DC Baramulla said that he has directed SDM and Tehsildar to file a report about the injured and the number of vehicles damaged during the clashes so that the government can compensate them. [KNT]
