5km Trek For Women To Fetch Water From Hilltop Spring

DODA A 60-year-old woman, on Ramazan fast, has to trek 5km to a hilltop spring every day to fetch water for her family. She said she is not the only person in her village in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir who has to undertake this strenuous journey.

Mustoor Begum said despite her fast, she will continue to join other villagers to fetch drinking water from the natural source. The villagers don’t have any other option either.

Located on a hill top in south east of Bhaderwah, Draman village is home to 110 Below Poverty Line families who are facing tremendous hardship due to lack of basic facilities.

The village, about 65 km from Doda town, is sans electricity and a motorable road.

Over the past seven months, women trekking long distances to fetch water has become a usual sight in this village.

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“Perhaps we are cursed,” Mustoor Begum told PTI.

“This is the holy month of Ramzan and like others, we want to spend more time praying,” she added.

She said the villagers have to spend a lot of time in queues to arrange water for daily use.

Sajjad Ahmad Parray said the village had water supply lines but the pipes were damaged due to heavy snowfall in November last year.

“We have raised the issue several times with the authorities,” he said.

Doda District Development Commissioner Sagar Dattaray Doifode blamed administrative issues for the delay in restoring the water pipelines but said it is his priority.

“There is some technical issues as Draman village is part of Doda but its falls in Public Health Engineering (PHE) division Kishtwar. The issue will be resolved on priority,” he said.

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