Jammu heading for major water crisis, this Summer

Work on Rs 352 cr project for 62 new tube wells yet to be taken up

JAMMU: The water crisis in Jammu is most likely to worsen in the upcoming summer season as the work on Rs 352 crore project for the construction of much needed sixty-two new tube wells in the winter capital is yet to be taken up despite the passage of more than one-and-a-half year since the project was submitted to Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) by the PHE Department.

Highly placed sources informed The News Now that Jammu, at present, is facing a shortfall of 11 Million Gallons (MGD) of water per day.

They said that the demand of water is going to increase manifold in the approaching summer season and, therefore, the already prevailing crisis in the winter capital Jammu is further going to deepen.
“It is unlikely that work on the new tube wells will be started in the coming days and therefore the crisis may worsen in Jammu in the upcoming summer season,” sources said.

To overcome the water crisis, the PHE Department, initially, had submitted a proposal of Rs 525 crore to the ERA for construction of new tube wells in Jammu. However, the proposal was cut down and only Rs 352 crore project was approved for construction of 62 new tube wells in Jammu urban, sources informed.

The project is to be funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB). “The ADB is yet to provide funds for Rs 352 crore project for construction of 62 new tube wells in the winter capital Jammu,” Chief Engineer, PHE, Ashok Gandotra told The News Now.

Once the funds for the mega project are provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the locations for new tube wells will be identified and accordingly conveyed to ERA so that work on the much needed tube wells in Jammu is started, sources said adding that the locations are also to be identified.

It may be mentioned that there are more than two hundred (200) tube wells in Jammu but they are unavailable to meet the water requirements of the region.

The ERA had constructed nearly 50 tube wells in Jammu during the last around five years. It may be mentioned that Jammu faces water crisis during every summer season due to the increased demand.
Updated On 3/23/2019 11:17:07 AM