Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 23: In response to the ongoing water crisis caused by freezing temperatures in the valley, Javed Ahmed Rana, the Minister for the Jal Shakti Department, organized a comprehensive meeting today to ensure the delivery of adequate drinking water to residents.
The meeting included MLAs from Anantnag (West), Devsar, Kokernag, and Sopore constituencies, as well as the ACS of the Jal Shakti Department, the MD of JJM, Chief Engineers, and other departmental engineers.
The Minister urged the department to develop an effective system for quickly addressing public grievances, ensuring that issues are resolved as swiftly as possible. He also recommended increasing the number of water tankers to supply drinking water to areas experiencing shortages. Furthermore, he requested detailed district-wise requirements to validate them before approval.
During the meeting, the Minister addressed concerns raised by the MLAs regarding the welfare and development of their respective regions. They highlighted issues concerning the enhancement of specific water supply schemes and improvements in the daily water supply for their constituents. The legislators also advocated for the timely completion of certain water supply schemes under JJM and the addition of initiatives under AMRUT 2.0 for their areas.
The Minister directed the relevant officials to take immediate action to resolve these issues.
ACS of the Jal Shakti Department, Shaleen Kabra, provided an update on the current water supply situation across the valley. He outlined various measures the department is taking to address the water crisis caused by significant reductions in water discharge from sources. He reported that out of 2,050 schemes, 40 have been impacted due to recent snowfall in higher areas or depletion of sources. He noted that 26 of these affected schemes have been restored, with 14 others currently undergoing restoration.
Additionally, measures such as insulating exposed pipes, provisioning 328 DG sets to mitigate power cuts, constructing stone bunds to divert raw water, and establishing district and divisional control rooms for public assistance with water-related issues are all in progress to ensure timely resolutions.
