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| Water shortage still haunts Jammu | | | | As has been the case for last several decades, the tall claims of the authorities about shortage of water supply to the households in Jammu city to be overcome soon, has proved only a mirage. The authorities had held the categorical assurance that this summer there will be no shortage of water supply in the city, since adequate arrangements have been made to ensure two times regular supply of water through PHE pipelines, with adequate flow, to meet the requirements of the households. But like all previous promises and assurances, it has proved only a hollow claim, with people at large in most of the city localities reeling under acute shortage of water supply. One time supply of potable water through PHE pipelines, for hardly half and hour daily, with water only tinkling with little flow hardly meets the daily needs of the household for drinking, bathing, cleansing and washing. While in the past the cry over shortage of water was heard only during extreme summer months, but lately the problem is felt even during winter months. During the winter season that has passed the households were complaining of scarcity of water. In view of delay caused in replacing the water treatment plant at Sitlee that was washed away in the flash floods two years ago, the water shortage pinched the citizens even during winter month, when the requirement of water is much less than what is required in summer months. However with the commissioning of new treatment plant at Sitlee, February this year, claiming to be supplying additional 70 lakh gallons of water daily, it was hoped that the problem would come to an end. But despite the claimed availability of additional 70 lakh gallons of water for the households in the city, the acute shortage of water is still being faced by the people. We are given the hope that by April this year still another plant with the capacity of supplying 70 lakh gallons of water per day will become operational and the shortage will come to an end. But in April and May, the demand for water having increased the problem became still acute. In June as well as July, August the requirement of water by the households will be more than doubled, in view of extreme heat, requiring two times bath daily besides water for running coolers and also more for drinking purpose. With clothes also getting dirty soon in summer and rainy season due to perspiration etc, needing daily change and washing, the demand for water in summer months has gone up considerably. In view of this the shortage of water even after commissioning one more plant, supplying additional 70 lakh gallons of water daily, it is hard to believe that the problem will be felt no more. Besides shortage of water supply through PHE pipelines, it is the irrational distribution and wastage of much of water in certain areas, specially those inhabited by VIPs, where supply is for a much longer period and water is allowed to overflow the reservoir tanks and flows down the drain, even after watering their gardens, further complicates the problem. The concerned authorities should take the maximum care to ensure that water is not wasted anywhere and see to it that the same is distributed rationally, with all areas getting equal supply. At least two times supply for one hour each must be ensured to all the households. In the absence of adequate water with the households, the drains also remain chocked, leading to stink and foul smell, causing health hazards. |
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