Jammu, Feb 4: JKPCC Working President Raman Bhalla has taken up the severe water crisis in Jammu with Minister Javed Rana and the Divisional Commissioner, urging immediate government intervention to provide relief to the affected residents. Addressing a gathering of distressed citizens in Bahu Fort, Bhalla emphasized that many areas, including Bhatindi, Chowadi, Channi, and Narwal, are facing extreme water shortages, with supply available only once every three days for a mere 30 minutes at low pressure.
Bhalla criticized the failure of the government’s app-based water tanker service, stating that high costs prevent the poor from accessing water, forcing them to rely on private operators who exploit the crisis. He also slammed the Jal Shakti Mission for failing to deliver on its promise of ensuring safe and adequate drinking water for all households by 2024.
The senior Congress leader further linked the worsening water crisis to the region’s broader economic distress, highlighting Jammu and Kashmir’s alarming 21% unemployment rate, as per the International Labour Organization’s Employment Report 2024. He accused the Centre of neglecting key issues, leaving residents to struggle for basic necessities.
Bhalla called upon the administration to take urgent steps, including upgrading pipelines to minimize leakages, increasing water storage capacity for better supply management, and regulating tanker pricing to prevent exploitation by private suppliers.
Reaffirming his commitment to the people’s welfare, Bhalla assured that he will continue to press for solutions until the crisis is resolved.