Former local MLA and ex-minister Shabir Ahmed Khan on Saturday expressed concern over the growing water shortage in the district, especially in populated areas.
“With the onset of the summer, the water supply in the populated areas, especially in old city, Manjakote, Doongi and Thannamandi areas of the district, are badly hit. If concrete measures are not taken right now, the problem will escalate in the days to come,” Khan asserted.
He lambasted the PDP-BJP dispensation for “step-motherly treatment towards Rajouri.” He alleged, “The local ministers and legislators are responsible for the pathetic condition of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department infrastructure. It has not been upgraded for more than three years.”
Khan alleged that instead of minimizing the sufferings of people, the local leaders of Rajouri are befooling them. “These leaders enjoy unlimited water supply by misusing power and repute,” he alleged.
Many illegal pipelines and connections were allotted in the past few months which is the reason behind this issue, otherwise, this kind of water shortage never emerged in the past, Khan stressed. He asked the district administration to take immediate steps to restore the water supply in the affected areas and asked the PHE department to implement new schemes, which were approved under the master plan, so that the problem of water shortage would not increase in the days to come.