The residents of Haihama area of Kupwara on Tuesday morning staged a protest against the department of public health engineering (PHE) against the non-availability of drinking water in the area.The protesters including women and children blocked the Haihama-Kupwara road due to which traffic movement was disrupted for some time. The protesters were demanding the restoration of the water supply in the area which is blocked for the last two months.The areas which are severely affected by the shortage of drinking water include Bungam, Gonipora, Khanpora, Hajam Mohalla, Mir Mohalla, Chalgund and Kumar Mohalla.“We have no drinking water for past two months. We are forced to drink dirty water from nearby streams. The department is sleeping” the protesters said.Scores of persons most of them elderly and children are suffering from Gastroenteritis diseases including vomiting.A senior doctor and an expert when contacted termed the consumption of stream water as unsafe."It is unsafe for human consummation as the water in streams is loaded with bacteria," he said.The patients may also have the fever and its continue consumption can lead to jaundice and Hepatitis, the doctor said.He urged the people to boil the water or 10-15 minutes so that the bacteria in it will die. (GNS)