Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], January 16 (ANI): More than eight months after devastating floods hit parts of Udhampur district in August, residents of Ward 1 in Ritti Panchayat continue to grapple with an acute water crisis as the village's piped water supply system remains non-functional.

Despite the Jal Shakti Department restoring most flood-damaged water projects in the region, the piped supply serving Ritti village has yet to be repaired. As a result, villagers are forced to walk one to two kilometres every day to fetch drinking water, significantly affecting daily life, especially for women and elderly residents.

Local residents said the prolonged disruption has placed an enormous burden on households. Women are compelled to leave behind domestic responsibilities and young children to collect water from distant sources.

'There is a severe water shortage in our village... The women of the household have to walk 1-2 kilometres to fetch water. We appeal to the authorities to extend the piped water supply scheme to our area as soon as possible,' a local resident said.

Another villager highlighted the prolonged nature of the hardship, stating that the community has been living without a regular water supply for nearly eight months.

'My problem is that there is no water in my area, and we have to travel one or two kilometres to get it, leaving our household chores and young children behind... Forget about taps; even the wells are dry... We're not complaining, but we haven't had water in our homes for eight months...' the resident said.

Responding to the concerns, Executive Engineer Sandeep Gupta of the Jal Shakti Department acknowledged the difficulties faced by villagers and explained the reasons behind the delay.

'After the floods in August and September, our water supply in Ritti was severely affected. We are unable to restore it immediately because we lack the necessary materials, and our entire 700-meter-long pipeline was washed away. We have raised this issue with higher officials, and we expect to complete the restoration within the next 10-15 days...' Gupta said. (ANI)