Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 12: Former MLC and senior Congress leader Ravinder Sharma has expressed concern over acute scarcity of water due to power shortage besides large number of hand pumps not being repaired for months, in several areas of Jammu province.
Sharma said during his visit to Sunderbani, Nowshera and Kalakote areas of Rajouri district, he observed that in several areas people are facing great hardships due to acute scarcity of water and power and there is urgent need to create effective alternate arrangements in place including urgent repairs of hand pumps. He said hand pumps, installed at several locations, meet the requirement to some extent but in several areas those are non functional for months together.
Seeking urgent repairs of all non functional hand pumps on war footing, he asked the LG administration to set up task force for the purpose and get immediate feedback about non functional hand pumps.
He said during his visit to different villages, the people apprised him about non-repairing of hand pumps for six months to several weeks, which is callous and criminal in such a crisis situation forcing people and women to travel long distance to fetch drinking water. Such a situation and lack of accountability was not during democratic Governments and some emergency measures were always taken to meet the crisis, the former MLC added.