Water crisis grips Habbakadal as residents await Govt action

Srinagar, Oct 4: Thousands of residents in Srinagar’s Habbakadal area are facing a severe drinking water shortage, contradicting the government’s promise of “Har Ghar Nal Se Jal” (Water to Every Home). The crisis has particularly hit areas of Chandapora, Babapora, and Kralkhud, where residents struggle daily for access to clean drinking water.
The overhead water tank at Gadood Bagh, once seen as the solution to the area’s water woes, now stands as a symbol of infrastructure failure. Residents receive water for just twenty minutes daily – ten minutes each in the morning and evening, with no fixed schedule. This unpredictable and minimal supply has left families scrambling to meet their basic needs.

“How are we supposed to manage our households with just twenty minutes of water supply?” asks Fatima Begum, a resident of Chandapora. “We never know when the water will come, and when it does, it’s gone before we can properly fill our storage tanks.”
The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, now known as the Jal Shakti Department, has faced numerous complaints from local residents. Despite repeated visits to their offices, residents say their pleas have yielded no results. The community’s frustration has reached a point where they’ve now appealed directly to Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for intervention.
“We’ve exhausted all regular channels,” says Abdul Hamid, a community representative. “Our children are suffering, our elderly are struggling, and the authorities seem indifferent to our plight. We need the Lieutenant Governor to look into this matter personally.”
The residents have requested an immediate investigation into the defunct water reservoir at Gadood Bagh and demanded alternative arrangements until the infrastructure is repaired. Many families now resort to purchasing water from private suppliers, adding financial burden to their already strained resources.
The crisis has particularly affected women who manage households. Shaheena Akhtar, a homemaker describes the daily ordeal: “We wake up early hoping to catch the morning supply, but often there’s no water. When it does come, the pressure is so low that it takes forever to fill even a few buckets. How long can we live like this?”
The situation has exposed a stark contrast between government claims and ground reality. While official records might suggest progress in water connectivity under the Jal Shakti Mission, residents of Habakadal tell a different story. The dysfunctional water tank, erected with much fanfare, now serves as a daily reminder of unfulfilled promises.