Pulwama, Jul 04 (KNO): Amidst the persistent dry spell, the residents of Banderpora in South Kashmir’s Kakapora area of Pulwama district are grappling with a severe water crisis as their paddy fields continue to dry up due to a non-functional irrigation pump.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the farmers said that their crops are on the verge of collapse, with no response from authorities despite repeated pleas.
They added that the drought pump base was constructed nearly two years ago, but the pump itself was never installed. “Our fields are drying up before our eyes. All we need is a functioning pump?” said Ghulam Nabi, a local farmer. “We work so hard on our land, but the system fails us every time.”
Another farmer, Mohammad Maqbool, voiced his frustration, saying, “We had high hopes this year. But with no water, our entire season is going to waste. It’s heartbreaking to see the crop withering in front of us.”
Khalid Ahmad, a young farmer from the area, added, “What hurts most is the indifference. We have been knocking on doors for months now. If the government can't provide basic irrigation in an agricultural area, where else should we go?”
“If water doesn’t reach our fields in the next few days, all the effort of the last three months will go in vain. We don't need sympathy, but action,” locals said.
They urged the district administration and the irrigation department to immediately restore the water supply before irreversible damage is done to the current season’s paddy crop.
Meanwhile, Hasnain Masoodi, MLA Pampore visited the affected area today to assess the on-ground situation. During his interaction with residents, he was informed that thousands of kanals of agricultural land are being directly impacted, putting the livelihood of hundreds of families at risk.
“The paddy is in its most critical stage. Without irrigation, we are staring at a total crop failure,” said another local, Abdul Rashid.
Justice Masoodi criticized the laxity shown by the administration, pointing out that it wouldn’t take more than an hour to install a drought pump or manually de-silt the existing way if officials had the will to act. “There is no passion among some officers to work sincerely for public welfare,” he said. “The issue is not just technical—it’s administrative apathy. A higher-level team must visit the spot and see the reality for themselves.”
He assured the residents that he will raise the issue at the appropriate forum and push for swift action by the concerned department—(KNO)