Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party (JKAP) on Monday hit out at Jal Shakti department for the growing water shortage in Srinagar amid the coronavirus outbreak and the holy month of Ramadhan.
In a statement, the party leader Irfan Naqeeb said a largenumber of areas in downtown were reeling under acute water crisis for the lastone month.
“Residents of Bah-e-Ali Mardan Khan, Lal Bazar including subareas like Botakadal, Botshah Mohalla, Mughal Mohalla, Genz Bagh, Umar Colony,Bagwanpora, Amda Kadal, Zonimar, Nowshehra and its adjacent areas are facingacute water scarcity that too amid the COVID outbreak and in the holy month ofRamadhan,” the JKAP leader said, demanding immediate intervention of theauthorities to restore water supply to these areas.
He said inhabitants of the downtown were aggravated due tothe acute shortage of drinking water and taps in almost all localities in theold city were running dry.
“Women in particular are finding it difficult to run theirkitchen in wake of the water shortage. The cleanliness guidelines for limitingthe spread of COVID19 are being observed in breach due to water shortage. Thusthe administration will be responsible for any kind of eventuality,” the JKAPleader said.
He said over two lakh households in Srinagar were sufferingfor want of potable water and the authorities were acting as mute spectator.
“The department is reportedly yet to address the breach inMalshahi Bagh feeding canal caused in December last year, which has resultedinto the acute water crisis in Srinagar,” Naqeeb said.
He said despite sanctioned Rs two crore for repairs of thecanal, the contractor firm and labourers have abandoned the work in the wake ofcoronavirus outbreak which has put a question mark on the claims being made onfunctioning of the essential services department in J&K.
“Four months have passed since the breach in the canal, theauthorities seem least bothered about the repair work which could haveeventually mitigated sufferings of people in the city,” he said.
“I appeal the divisional commissioner Kashmir and chiefengineer PHE to address this grave issue and order immediate restoration workon the feeding canal to various schemes including Rangil (WSS), Alesteng (WSS),Hadoora, Shuhama and Bakoora, so that people of Srinagar are supplieduninterrupted potable water in these pressing times,” Naqeeb said.
He demanded till Malshahi Bagh-Ganderbal feeding canal tovarious water supply projects in Srinagar was restored, the Jal Shaktidepartment should press adequate number of water tankers into service for theareas suffering for want of potable water in the city especially entiredowntown.