Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir): Protests by villagers in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district over shortage of drinking water turned violent as police used tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters while the latter pelted stones at them on Friday.
Eyewitnesses said the protests erupted when residents of Chanibal village in Pattan area of Baramulla blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla highway in the morning. This blockage led to massive traffic jams as hundreds of vehicles got stuck on the highway.
According to eyewitnesses, local police attempted to disperse the protesters from the highway for the smooth movement of the traffic, but the locals intensified their protests which escalated into violence. They said that the police resorted to lathi charge and used tear gas canisters on the protesters while the latter pelted stones.
BJP's workers who were traveling to the protest site also were injured along with their security guards. "BJP Media In-charge Kashmir, Adv. Sajid Yousuf Shah, and Social Media Incharge, Er. Sahil Bashir Bhat, was attacked by an unknown mob in Mirgund, Pattan. PSO’s were also seriously injured," BJP said in a statement.
Locals said that from past weeks they were not getting water supply despite repeated pleas to the concerned authorities. Hamid Rather, a socio-political activist in Pattan, told ETV Bharat that water scarcity in the area is a perennial problem which the people are facing for years.
Rather said neither the administration has addressed the issue of the people under its Jal Jeevan Mission nor has their former MLA Imran Ansari addressed it.
The district administration including the District Magistrate and SSP Baramulla rushed to the village and assured them that their grievance will be resolved.
SSP Baramulla Amod Nagpure said the protesters had blocked the highway for a long time and pelted stones and police used force to disperse them. He said the anger of the people is genuine and the administration has assured them to address their demands. The SSP assured the protesters that no legal action or arrests will be made by the police if they peacefully seek their demands rather than resorting to violence.
The District Magistrate Baramulla Minga Sherpa admitted that the village has water deficit as it is located at the tailend of a water supply pipeline that comes from Drang area of the district. He said that a new water supply scheme is under construction which once completed will end the water scarcity of the village. "Till the scheme is completed, we will send water tankers to the village so that the locals do not face the crisis," he said.
Protests in the Kashmir valley by the locals for basic necessities have disappeared after the abrogation of article 370 as people usually prefer silence over reaction. However, today's violent protest has surprised even the local politicians who have blamed the police for escalating a protest for a basic need into violence.
"Deeply concerned about the escalating situation in Chainbal (Pattan), where a water scarcity protest turned violent. Local police responsible for the situation, using excessive force & live ammunition on protesters. Reports of injuries & damage are alarming. Authorities must address the water crisis & ensure peaceful resolution. The right to water is a fundamental human right & it's the responsibility of the government to ensure access to this basic necessity. Protesters' rights must be respected & protected. Local police must be held accountable for their actions," Imran Ansair wrote on X.
Ansari has been a legislator from the Pattan assembly segment where this protest erupted. His party chairman Sajad Lone too censured the police for its action on the people.
"What on earth is happening in Chenabal, Pattan. People are simply registering their protest against scarcity of water. And what is the response of the JK police. It is as if they are at an encounter site. Can u please start listening to people and render a “supreme sacrifice” of treating humans as humans," Sajad Lone wrote on X.
The water crisis in Kashmir valley in many areas has been a persistent problem for years and the administration has failed to address it. Last week, four family members died in Kupwara district while fetching water from a local spring.
