Kupwara: Dodkul Mawer area of Handwara belt of north Kashmir is facing shortage of potable water, forcing women to walk about a kilometer to fetch water from open ponds.
The place is located on hilltop, about 40 kilometers away from main town Handwara.
“We have suffered immensely due to the negligence of successive governments and the local MLA,” a group of women told INS.
“Most of the time, wild animals pass by our way to pond and this poses threat to our lives. The men are busy with their daily routine and cannot accompany us all the time,” they said.
“We are neglected on all fronts – water, electricity, and what not,” the women added.
Locals said neither the concerned MLA Er Rasheed nor the district administration have paid visit to the area. “We think even the public health engineering (PHE) department doesn’t know that we exist,” they said.
“Our children fall sick after every third day due to lack of potable water,” the women said. “We won’t caste a single vote in coming elections till our demands are fulfilled.”
As MLA Rasheed is attending the assembly session in Jammu, the constituency president assured that all problems will be solved soon.
