 Early Times Report
UDHAMPUR, June 18 - The residents of Thanote village, located near Udhampur town, are grappling with a severe water crisis as the water supply to the village occurs only once every 10-15 days. The continuous shortage of water has greatly disrupted the lives of the villagers, leading to growing resentment towards the authorities responsible. Prabhu Dyal Sharma, an 88-year-old resident, stated that in his recollection, the village has never had a regular water supply.
As a result, the villagers are forced to travel 6 kilometers to fetch water from a nearby spring, which has now also dried up. He expressed frustration, mentioning that the local representatives such as Sarpanches and Panches only visit the village during election times and pay no attention to their hardships. According to him, the government’s grand schemes exist only on paper.
Retu Devi, a housewife, revealed that out of the 60 households in the village, only 10-20 houses have water connections, and even they receive sporadic supply for a few minutes every 10-15 days. Other residents echoed similar concerns.
The villagers have appealed to the Lieutenant Governor of J&K to intervene and address the issue. When contacted, the Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti Department in Udhampur initially denied the prolonged water supply issue but later assured that he would investigate the matter.
The plight of Thanote village highlights the urgent need for attention and action to resolve the acute water crisis that the residents are facing.” |
