by Sajid Raina
SRINAGAR: The villagers of Bachinar, located just three kilometres from Guroora, are facing a dire water crisis as a scorching heat wave grips the region. For weeks, the 300 households have been pleading for water tankers to supply their basic needs, but their requests have gone unanswered.
The village relies on a natural cave-fed tap, which once promised a reliable water source. However, the harsh reality is that the tap now barely delivers a trickle, with each drop falling agonizingly slow.
Gulam Rasool, a resident, expressed the community’s despair: “Everyone knows how high the temperatures are these days and how essential drinking water is for everyone, but we are hopeless. We are thirsty, and our fate is unfortunate that in these hot days, we are craving a few drops of water.”
The dried-up water pipes, installed years ago, stand as a painful reminder of unfulfilled promises. The few drops of water from the natural spring are inadequate, forcing some villagers to buy water from the market or fetch it from a nearby village, two kilometres away.
Rubeena Akthar shared her frustration, saying, “Since 2018, we have been craving drinking water, and no one from the administration is responding to us. We have knocked on the doors of every officer within the district, but our demands and pleas have fallen on deaf ears.”
Mubeena, another resident, added, “Our village is perhaps the only place in the world where people are longing for a drop of water. In 2018, the department laid the pipes for the water supply, but since then, no one has come to check on the progress of these waterless pipes. The department has made a mockery of us.”
The lack of water has affected daily life profoundly. Junaid Ahmad, a young man from the village, described the struggle: “Without water for several days, we can’t brush our teeth or cook dinner. Sometimes, this is the reality we face. I swear I haven’t brushed my teeth for several days, and bathing feels like a distant dream.”
An official acknowledged the village’s plight and stated that water tankers are currently the only source of relief. He assured that the water supply project for the area will be made functional soon, providing piped water to the villagers’ homes.
As the heat wave continues to scorch the region, the residents of Bachinar remain in desperate need of immediate and sustainable water solutions.
