Parts of Kashmir facing acute water shortage

TNN Bureau. Updated: 11/15/2017 1:18:48 AM Front Page

Mir Farhat

Srinagar: With prolonged dry spell continuing in the Kashmir valley and river Jhelum's water level dipping to a record-low, acute shortage of drinking water supply has compounded problems of residents even as the government has failed to complete hundreds of water supply schemes in the state to curb water woes.
Under National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), the UPA-led government in 2002 had sanctioned around 2511 water supply schemes for Jammu and Kashmir, of which 1566 schemes were allotted for Jammu division, 934 for Kashmir division.
However, the state government, till now, has completed only 232 schemes, aggravating water supply shortage for people.
Officials in PHE said that 294 schemes were sanctioned for Jammu district, the highest number, 168 for Rajouri, Poonch 89, Kishtwar 99, Kathua and Samba 72 each. For Leh and Kargil 149 schemes were allotted.
In Kashmir, Baramulla was allotted 173, the highest number of water supply schemes, Kupwara 109, Bandipora 89, Anantnag 156, Shopian 90, Kulgam 101, Srinagar 98, Budgam 111 and Ganderbal 73.
A senior PHE official said that these schemes were aimed to provide adequate safe water for drinking and to curb water shortage in villages and towns.
Officials said that Central Government would send Rs 537 Crore every financial year for completion of these schemes, but the since the BJP-led government only Rs 227 Crore were released with a condition that only earlier under-construction schemes should be completed.
Officials said that no new scheme was allotted to the state by the present government.
Residents across the valley are grappling with acute shortage of drinking water, with PHE officials maintaining that around 700 water supply schemes are adversely affected due dry spell prevailing over the region.
PHE officials said that of the 1681 water supply schemes in Kashmir, more than 700 lie almost defunct because the water level in the river Jhelum, as per Irrigation and Flood Control department, has dipped to minus 0.75 feet at Sangam in Anantnag, the lowest since 1955.
Minister for PHE and IFC, Sham Lal Choudhary said that 232 schemes, 112 schemes were completed in Jammu, 88 in Kashmir and 32 in Ladakh, have been completed after the centre Rs 227 crore.
"The Centre asked us to complete the schemes which cost less funding. Our target is to complete these schemes this year./ No new scheme will be taken up until the previous schemes are completed as per the Centre Government's direction," he said.
The minister said that the government will construct hand-pumps in remote areas having less population and no other source of water for consumption.
On November 5, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had in a meeting with officials from public health engineering department directed for ensuring regular water supply to consumers in all areas in Kashmir by pressing tanker service into action water-shortage bound areas and exploring possibilities of digging hand pumps and wells to identify new sources.


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