M R Elahi
Srinagar, Jul 12 (KNS): The traffic on Handwara-Baramulla highway Friday came to a grinding halt after the residents of Yaroo area of Langate blocked it to protest against the shortage of potable water in the area.

Witnesses told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that the residents blocked the road highway early morning to protest against water scarcity.

The residents of the area including men and women assembled at Langate and blocked it for several hours. They were chanting slogans against Public Health Engineering (PHE) and were demanding immediate redressal of their grievance.

Witnesses said that hundreds of vehicles were stranded after the inhabitants blocked the main road in the area, thereby leaving the commuters to lurch at large.

Talking to Kashmir News Service (KNS), the protesters said that they are facing acute shortage of water from past couple of months while the authorities are watching it as mute spectator.

“Our demands should be redressed at earliest otherwise we will continue to stage protests against the department and will block the roads as well,” they said.

They also said that the transformer is lying defunct at workshop since last month but the concern department is paying no heed.

Later, Naib Tehsildar Langate Fayaz Ahmad Andrabi and Chowki officer visited the spot and pacified the protesters, assuring them that the water supply scheme in the area will be restored in the next two months and daily two water tankers will provide the water to the villagers till the pipe line will be restored.

He said that the power supply in the village will be restored by today or tomorrow. (KNS)