Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 5: As some areas of Jammu city are facing acute water scarcity over a month or so with concerned authorities looking as mute spectator the people left with no alternative are up in arms against the concerned department.
The worst ever water crisis in the Old City areas have been reported from Residency Road area near Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan, Mohalla Darogaran, Purani Mandi, Kali Jani, Mast Garh etc which has added to the woes of the people especially the house wives in these localities.
There is no timing for water supply now as earlier it was supplied two times a day morning and evening for one hour each and nowadays one does not know when the water will be supplied. Even the duration of one hour has been curtailed to 20 to 30 minutes in the morning while the supply during evening has been totally stopped said Anju Bala a house wife in Kali Jani area.
She said the working ladies are in most trouble as they can’t stock the water during the odd hours when they are in office as the timing and duration has been totally changed.
Supporting her Govind Sarin a social activist near Residence Road said that water is only supplied for 20 minutes a day nowadays and people living in the Residency Road near Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan and Eidgah are facing acute problems due to water scarcity. He said if this situation persists there will be grave crisis in coming Summer Season. He accused the authorities of ignoring the plight of people.
Sarin said Gujjar Hostel which is near the Eidgah at Residence Road has a role of 104 students and over 30 staff members and the inmates daily purchase a water tanker for their use. Sometimes even they approach social activists for help in getting a water tanker as the hostel having four taps does not get regular water supply.
Kartar Nath Gupta of Purani Mandi said that his area is facing worst ever water crisis at present and the authorities have failed to settle the same. The unscheduled power cuts for last some time have been the main cause of water crisis, he said, adding earlier there was a definite timing for water now people don’t know the same. Sometimes it is supplied in morning, some times in evening and some times during the day depending upon the power supply in the area. Moreover the duration of supply has also been curtailed to a great extent, he added.
Pramod Kumar of Mohalla Darogaran in Old City area said that the locality is also worst hit by water crisis nowadays and no one at the helm of affairs is ready to listen their woes. He said while there is no schedule timing of water supply in the area now as was a past practice, the duration of supply has also been reduced to a great extent.
However when contacted the Chief Engineer PHE, Rajiv Gandotra said that the problem has been caused due to the curtailment in power supply. He said there is repeatedly six hour power cut as the Power Development Department (PDD) is engaged in changing of lines in the city and its outskirts. The water supply is linked to power supply and when there is power curtailment the water supply will be naturally affected, he added.
Mr Gandotra said otherwise PHE system is O K and there is no problem from Departmental side. He made it clear once the power supply is better the water supply will naturally improve.
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