Muzaffarabad (PoJK) October 10 : The hills of Muzaffarabad are facing an unprecedented water crisis as natural springs in villages surrounding the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) have begun to dry up, a development that residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu Kashmir (PoJK) blame on the project's underground tunnel system.
Once abundant with fresh spring water, these villages are now struggling for survival. Locals said the construction of the hydropower tunnel diverted underground water channels, leaving entire communities without their primary water sources. "The springs we relied on for generations have disappeared," said a villager. "Now, we have to travel several kilometres to fetch water, often hiring vehicles just to bring enough for drinking and livestock."
The crisis has hit the rural economy. Families that once depended on cattle and farming are now being forced to sell their livestock as they cannot sustain them without water. "We had no choice but to sell our animals," said another resident. "When there's no water for people, how can there be water for cattle?"
Residents said they pay thousands of rupees to private water suppliers for limited quantities, a cost many labourers cannot afford. The worsening situation has also prompted migration to Muzaffarabad city, as rural livelihoods collapse under the burden of the water shortage.
Villagers claimed that the government had promised to restore local water sources and ensure compensation after the hydropower tunnel construction, promises that remain largely unfulfilled.
"The Neelum-Jhelum project may be generating power, but it has drained the life out of local communities," said a community elder. "Water is our basic right. Without it, there can be no life, no livelihood." As residents continue to battle daily for every drop, the once self-sufficient villages of PoJK stand as a stark reminder that development without sustainability can come at a devastating cost.