Srinagar, Ganderbal among 9 districts in India with potable water supply to all households: Centre
Faizan Wani
Srinagar, August 19: As intense heat wave continues in Kashmir, acute water shortage has peeved off masses, even as the centre has claimed to have facilitated potable drinking water supply to all households in Srinagar and Ganderbal.
According to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), locals facing water scarcity have blamed the Jal Shakti department for compounding their problems, by allegedly ‘turning blind’ eye to resolve crises.
On the other hand Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) in a tweet said that Srinagar and Ganderbal are among nine districts across India having been facilitated with potable drinking water supply to all households.
It also stated that 41 percent of total rural households now have potable drinking water connections in Kashmir under Jal Se Nal Mission.
“J&K’s Sgr & Ganderbal among 9 districts across India with potable drinking water supply to all households. In 1 yr of Nal Se Jal Mission, 44.1% of J&K’s rural households now have potable drinking water connections,” reads the tweet.
People complained that they are facing acute water shortage for the past four months as water supply schemes feeding their respective areas have dried up with authorities miserably failed to tackle the issue.
“We are forced to travel to adjoining localities to fetch water, we tantalize for drop of water but authorities seem unmoved over the major problem people face in this roasting temperature,” Manzoor Ahmad a Khanyar resident told KNO
Most of the areas in Srinagar face acute water scarcity for the past four months, however the authorities cite continuous dry spell as major cause for the issue concerning commoners.
An official at the Jal Shakti department told KNO that the main water reservoir which supplies potable water to Srinagar runs dry as there is no rainfall in Kashmir for the past more than four months now. He said the department tirelessly works to supply maximum water to Srinagar.
Locals in most of the old city areas complained that they face acute water shortage but the authorities have so far failed to address the issue thereby forcing people to hit streets in protest.
Most of the areas in capital city including Khanyar, Khwaja Bazar, Khankah, Baba Demb, Nowhatta, Gowjwara, Rajouri Kadal, Kawdara, Eidgah, Rathpora, Nishat, Shalimar and Harwan have been facing water scarcity for the past four months.
“Our continuous pleas to resolve water crises fall flat on deaf ears. There is no single area in old Srinagar where people are satisfied with water supply. What if there is no rainfall, does the authorities want people to die of water shortage,” Hilal Ahmad, a Kawdara resident said—(KNO)
