Bandipora, April 15 -- Suhail Rather

Nearly 80 families in Nad Mohalla, Badibeth Pethkoot in north Kashmir's Bandipora district have never had access to clean drinking water, forcing them to rely on an unsafe nallah and bottled water for daily needs, locals said on Wednesday.

The families, predominantly from economically weaker sections, have no piped water connection. Women walk long distances to fetch water, while several households have attached makeshift pipes to a nearby stream, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases, residents alleged.

"Many are buying bottled water for cooking and drinking, which is unaffordable for us," a local resident told news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS).

Former sarpanch Ab Rashid termed the situa...