Protests in city as power, water crisis deepens

Tribune News Service

Jammu, August 18

Parts of the city today witnessed protests against the severe power and water crisis amid hot and humid weather conditions, with the protesters accusing the PDP-BJP of failing to provide the basic amenities to the people.

Launching a scathing attack on the state government for its “gross failure” in providing relief to the people of the Jammu region from the ongoing power and water crisis, scores of Panthers Party activists led by chairman Harsh Dev Singh and state president of Young Panthers Yash Paul staged a demonstration at the exhibition ground here.

In his address, Harsh Dev regretted that the acute power crisis had not only made the life of common man miserable in towns and cities, but also in the hinterland and remote areas during the ongoing summer season.

Expressing resentment over the deprivation of basic civic amenity like power, he said the callous attitude of the Power Development Department (PDD) had made the people of Jammu suffer the worst hardships due to scorching heat and soaring humidity with no respite from scheduled and frequent unscheduled power cuts.

Harsh Dev said irregular supply of water besides polluted and contaminated water being supplied to the city and other places had created an alarming situation with people boiling with rage against the “criminal apathy” of the people at the helm of affairs.

Similarly, activists of the Dogra Front, led by president Ashok Gupta, held a protest against the Public Health Engineering (PHE) and the PDD for not providing electricity and drinking water supply. The protesters carried fans to express their resentment, saying these had no use without electricity.

Gupta alleged that the people of the entire region had been facing difficulties without electricity in sweltering humidity. The long-duration power cuts along with fluctuation and low voltage have made the lives of people miserable.

He added that the people were forced to purchase water from private water tankers as the department was unable to meet the requirement.

Meanwhile, residents of the Jammu West Assembly segment also staged a demonstration against the worsening power supply and raised slogans against the BJP state president and local MLASat Sharma.