Jammu, Aug 22 - The army has come to the rescue of 5,000 villagers in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir who have been waiting for regular water supply for decades.

The lucky village to get the regular water supply is Chowki Handan in Nowshera sector, close to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan, about 150 km north of here.

Maj. Gen. R.S. Pradhan, general officer commanding of Rajouri division, inaugurated the water supply system Saturday and dedicated it to the local population.

'It's such a big relief,' Shardo Devi, 62, said after the inauguration of the scheme.

It has brought to an end the practice of women and children carrying pitchers on their heads and buckets in their hands, scouring for water from streams and springs far away.

This summer was particularly harsh for the villagers with many springs drying up. There was little rain and no water even in ponds.

The army, which has been in the area since 1947, had been watching the villagers struggle for water and decided to help them.