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Srinagar: Residents of Kanbathi village in Bandipora district, in the Indian-administered region of Jammu and Kashmir, staged protests against what they described as anti-people policies of the Modi-led Indian government, effectively blocking the Sopore-Bandipora road.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the protest was fueled by the long-standing failure of local authorities to provide clean drinking water, despite years of appeals to the Jal Shakti Department. Villagers accused Indian officials of diverting their water supply to another area, forcing them to rely on contaminated local streams. Protesters criticized the need to walk over a kilometer to access water, describing the authorities’ inaction as a neglect of basic human needs.
Farooq Ahmad Kawa, a resident of the village, voiced his frustration: “Our water supply scheme, approved in 2008, remains non-functional. This negligence forces us to drink unsafe water while our calls for redress go unheard.”
A female protester underscored the unequal impact on women, who bear the brunt of traveling long distances for water. She remarked, “The authorities make false promises of resolving the crisis, but we continue to suffer in silence.”
The demonstration drew hundreds of participants, both men and women, who chanted slogans decrying government neglect. They demanded immediate action to restore clean water access to Kanbathi village and warned of continued protests until their fundamental needs are addressed.
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