Water woes in Kashmir due to low river levels

Central and North Kashmir, but according to engineers, it is a costly exercise.

In Baramulla division of PHE, 80% of 18 water supply schemes have been impacted due to lowest ever water levels of Jhelum. “We are trying our best to face this crisis. We know that it is impossible to cater to lakhs of people in Baramulla division by supplying water through tankers,” Zafar Ahmad Faktoo, executive engineer of Baramulla division, PHE, told this reporter.

The PHE department along with the flood control department has pressed into service machines at various places in Jhelum’s riverbed. They have been able to divert the water to that point by making diversion channels, said a senior engineer.

Kashmir’s “weather man”, Sonam Lotus, while talking to this reporter, said that this phenomenon will persist as the monsoon circulation remained very little this year in J&K. He said rainfall is not expected immediately. Protests are being witnessed in Baramulla and in the Khan Sahib area of Budgam district as people have dry taps with no water supply available. MLA of Khan Sahib, Hakim Mohammed Yasin, said that on a daily basis deputations are coming from many villages as there is no drinking water. He said that the government should immediately respond as the crisis is growing in his Assembly segment. He claimed that no tanker service has been started in the affected villages to supply water to them.