DDC Kishtwar reviews water supply scenario

Excelsior Correspondent

KISHTWAR, Apr 11: District Development Commissioner Kishtwar Ashok Sharma today chaired a meeting to review drinking water supply scenario in the district ahead of summer season.
The DC asked the Jal Shakti Department to gear up men at all vital installations to avoid water crisis in the district. The meeting was attended by the concerned officers and technical staff held here in his office chamber.
The meeting was attended by Joint Director Planning Mohammad Iqbal; XEn Jal Shakti department Anil Kailu, JEs, AEs besides other concerned officers.
At the outset, the DDC Kishtwar took stock of the available water supply in the town and its peripheral areas. He also reviewed the progress on various Water Supply schemes in the district.
The meeting was informed that at present the district has 18 Lakh gallons of water available as against required 22 lakh gallons to cater to the population of Kishtwar town and its adjoining areas.
The DDC Kishtwar asked the department to strengthen the existing Water Supply Distribution system, Infrastructure by reducing the wastage, leakages. He further asked to augment the supply by completing the ongoing projects/water supply schemes to overcome the 20% shortfall.
He further directed the Jal Shakti department to put in place short term measures like Water Tanker supply facility and repair of dead Hand pumps in the district on immediate basis to avoid water crisis in the summer season.
The DDC directed the XEn Ground water to ensure that the identified dead or non-functional hand pumps are repaired and made functional within a month.
The District Development Commissioner also asked to resolve bottlenecks faced in the rational distribution of the water supply in the district particularly in the town and its adjoining areas with huge non local and migrated population.
The department was asked to carry out the mapping of vulnerable and critical areas facing water supply shortage and chalk out a comprehensive Action plan to deal with the shortage in these areas.
The weeding out of the illegal water connections, double connections, unregistered water connections, besides plugging of leakages was also stressed upon.