Sopore, Nov 4: Residents of Budshah Mohalla Batpora in north Kashmir’s Sopore on Tuesday staged a protest against the Jal Shakti Department, alleging negligence in addressing the prolonged water shortage in the area. The aggrieved residents said they have been facing an acute shortage of drinking water for several years. Despite repeated assurances from the concerned authorities and the local MLA, they claimed no concrete steps have been taken to resolve the issue. “Our women and children suffer every day as we are forced to fetch water from distant areas,” said one of the protesting residents. They appealed to the Jal Shakti Department to take immediate action to restore a water supply so that the residents are not forced to continue living in such difficult conditions.