Water woes on rise in Srinagar

Reports about increasing shortage of drinking water facility in Srinagar city emanating from residential areas across the city show lapses in the water distribution system in the summer capital in early summer months of March and April. There is nothing new in the complaints of Irrational distribution of water in Srinagar city as such grievances are on the rise for the last more than three years and henceforth impression being given that hot weather in early summer months of March and April has triggered scarcity across Srinagar is just an attempt of the City Water Works Division Srinagar to evade action and public critcism. Had hot weather been the cause of water scarcity in Srinagar city, the complaints of water shortage won’t have been of an equally high intensity during last two consecutive years also. Interestingly the intensity of water scarcity is as high this year as it was last year which indicates that water distribution system is not rationalised according to the increasing consumption levels.  Knowing that water consumption level is rising year after year due to increasing population and migration from towns and villages to the city the City Water Works Division should have rationalised the water distribution system throughout the city year after year. Unfortunately city water works division is forced to use water tankers for supplying drinking water to consumers in peak summer months but using tankers for supplying water to consumers in residential areas is by no means a permanent solution to the increasing water woes of Srinagarites in peak summer months.

While the city water works division was under the administrative control of Chief Engineer Public Health Engineering (Jal Shakti)  Department Kashmir in yesteryears ,it is controlled by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for the last two years and interestingly during last two years the irrational water distribution system has intensified the increasing water woes of the people in the residential areas across the summer capital. Unless and until the residential and commercial lines are not segregated the scarcity of drinking water facility can’t be reduced to the desired levels.        

For better rationalisation of water distribution system in Srinagar city the city water works division could have segregated the commercial and residential lines for hassle free water supply to the residential areas keeping in view the fact that water consumption levels rise during peak summer months due to increasing stress of tourist arrivals on hotels more in Srinagar and less in other parts of Kashmir valley. While the city water works division was under the administrative control of Chief Engineer Public Health Engineering (Jal Shakti) Department Kashmir in yesteryears ,it is controlled by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) for the last two years and interestingly during last two years the irrational water distribution system has intensified the increasing water woes of the people in the residential areas across the summer capital. Unless and until the residential and commercial lines are not segregated the scarcity of drinking water facility can’t be reduced to the desired levels.