Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 25: Senior Congress leader and former minister Raman Bhalla today slammed LG’s Administration and BJP Government at the Centre for increasing water usage charges in Jammu and Kashmir.
“While the National Hydroelectric Corporation (NHPC) is making a fortune out of the energy generated from J&K’s water resources, the J&K’s hapless inhabitants shall have to pay through nose for every drop of water they drink or use in daily life,” said former minister while interacting with aggrieved people of Chatha Pind area of Gandhi Nagar constituency facing serious water and power crisis.
Bhalla said that as the mercury continues to soar above 40 degree Celsius in the region, electricity and water crisis further worsens in Jammu where people are suffering because of the prevailing situation while LG Administration busy in making tall claims of doing everything in all the sectors. The intense heat wave is leading to power shutdowns and tripping of the system, which in turn severely affecting water supply thus multiplying woes of the Jammuites, who are left with no option other than to curse the Government for the crisis. But under such circumstances, water metering decision and announcing steep hike in water tariff is most unfortunate and harsh act on the part of LG’s Administration, Bhalla regretted.
Notwithstanding the Commissioner Secretary’s direction for no planned shutdown in the region owing to scorching heat, electricity supply in various parts of Jammu remains off for hours together. “Our system and supply are not adequate to ensure no power cut, particularly during the summer month, when the transformers and circuit get damaged because of intense heat,” said Bhalla.
The consequent affect of frequent power breakdowns on water scenario can be gauged from the fact that power tripping for only one and half hour hampers supply of around 7.5 lakh gallon water and the system used to experience power tripping for several times a day. In the summer at peak and owing to power tripping problem, various areas of Jammu are reeling under water scarcity.
Bhalla said that there was demand of 65 million gallons water per day in the Jammu Urban area whereas the supply was only 50 million gallons with the result that there is shortage of 15 million gallon water each day. Even as the water scarcity is a routine feature in Jammu, particularly during the summer months, the Government has neither some long term nor short term planning to meet the crisis.
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