At a time when the people of J&K are reeling under intense summer heat, grappling with erratic water supply and prolonged power cuts, the glaring gaps in the administrative and operational framework of essential service departments such as Jal Shakti and the Power Department reflect a deeper malaise. These two departments, tasked with delivering lifelines to every household, are buckling under the weight of massive manpower shortages, outdated audits, bureaucratic apathy, and a governance vacuum that is pushing the entire UT toward infrastructural regression. The magnitude of the crisis is staggering. A total of 802 engineering posts are vacant in the Jal Shakti Department, while 861 remain unfilled in PDD. These are not just numbers; they represent the void of critical expertise required to maintain, execute, and expand core public service projects. From Junior to Chief Engineers and MDs, the system is running on fumes. Engineers are being burdened with dual or even triple charges, handling operational responsibilities of multiple divisions, attending endless administrative and political meetings, and firefighting crises on the ground with negligible support.
The lack of technical manpower in fundamentally engineering-centric departments is deeply concerning. Engineers are not generic administrators-they are specialists trained to design, implement, and maintain the infrastructure that underpins modern life. The systemic failure to recognise this distinction and to treat these departments like any other bureaucratic wing is a strategic blunder. Running the Power and Jal Shakti Departments without adequate technical staff is ultimately unsustainable. The lack of updated manpower audits has further compounded the crisis. Most of the sanctioned posts are based on decades-old assessments that no longer reflect the realities of today’s expanding urban landscapes. J&K’s towns and cities are growing rapidly, with rising demands for uninterrupted electricity and safe drinking water. What’s worse, in many cases, vacancies are being considered for abolition due to being unfilled for over two years-as per a new circular.
The manpower shortage has resulted in the absence of strategic planning, which has left water augmentation projects in limbo. Except for unsustainable borewell-based solutions, there has been virtually no expansion of long-term, large-scale water schemes. Power sector reforms, too, remain half-baked. Critical functions like electricity theft control, load revision, planning of new connections, and preventive maintenance are nearly paralysed.
The Government must recognise that ad-hocism in technical departments is not merely inefficient-it is dangerous. Essential services cannot be delivered reliably through contractual or daily wage labourers. They lack the training, accountability, and systemic support required for such vital tasks. Moreover, continued neglect is leading to unrest. Demonstrations are common, and in a stark reminder of systemic collapse, engineers in the power sector went on strike in the past, forcing the Army to step in and manage operations-a first in peacetime civil administration.
It is time for the Government to act decisively. The first step must be to immediately fill all vacant posts across ranks through fast-track recruitment, especially in engineering and field roles. Simultaneously, a comprehensive manpower audit must be undertaken to align sanctioned posts with current and projected needs. Any overlapping roles must be pruned to improve efficiency. Engineers performing well must be supported, not overburdened. Accountability should be shared across the hierarchy, not disproportionately heaped on a few. The health of a state’s essential services is a direct indicator of its administrative priorities. If Jal Shakti and PDD continue to limp along on skeletal staff and overloaded engineers, the crisis will deepen-turning today’s inconvenience into tomorrow’s collapse.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
