# Dead snake found in Uri water pipeline, residents protest 2026-09-25T01:32:17+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Residents of Gawalta village in Uri, Baramulla, found a dead snake inside a pipeline of the Sokad-Gowlta Water Supply Scheme on Monday, raising fresh concerns over drinking water safety. The supply had been disrupted for several days, prompting locals to inspect the system themselves. The incident follows a similar complaint from Nambla, where dead rats were found in a water storage tank. Residents accused the Jal Shakti Department of poor maintenance and demanded an immediate inspection, cleaning, and disinfection of the network. They also sought an inquiry into how the snake entered the pipeline and called for regular monitoring of water infrastructure in the Uri area. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, every rural household in Jammu and Kashmir is to get a functional tap connection, but incidents like this expose gaps in maintenance after installation. The Public Health Engineering Department, now part of Jal Shakti, is responsible for water quality surveillance under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) 10500 norms. In 2023, the Comptroller and Auditor General flagged poor upkeep of water supply schemes in the Union Territory, with many lacking regular disinfection. The question here is accountability: who checks the pipelines once they are laid? The next move rests with the Jal Shakti Department, which must conduct the demanded inspection and file a report to the local administration. ## Coverage - greaterkashmir.com Tags: Baramulla, Jal Shakti Department, Jammu and Kashmir, Uri, water supply Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/dead-snake-found-in-uri-water-pipeline-residents-protest/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/dead-snake-found-in-uri-water-pipeline-residents-protest/#story-in-brief