Literally any sort of issue may be afforded to be ignored for some time but at least that pertaining to water, definitely not. Water is known as Amrit or life giving and sustaining. Added to it when it is the question of management of water and its resources which otherwise day in and day out is not an issue of demand and supply only but about its depleting resources and the vast challenge of how to maintain an equilibrium as much as can be possible between various vital factors and possibly how to replenish the resources including means to contain its wastages and gross misuse. There are provisions for developing and conserving the limited resources of water and budgetary allocations to develop various projects in this direction too are made. Equally, stress needs to be laid on water governance and issuing of policies and introducing even reforms.
Having said all this, it is beyond comprehension as to why the Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources regulatory Authority (JKWRRA) is without a Chairman to head it for the last four months hence leaving taking important decisions about the ongoing role of the Regulatory Authority to pile in arrears or simply avoiding taking any decision at all. Not only this , against a full quorum of three members on it, presently there are two and one of them is tendering resignation on personal grounds thus reducing the strength of members to just one . In other words, the JKWRRA is just on the brink of slipping into a defunct status which cannot be afforded, even in the least. While we have emulated the Maharashtra model of governance of water resources, the need to go in for sweeping reforms is strongly felt especially looking to various areas where water table is showing constantly depleting signs. Good, healthy and quality water is a biggest challenge which must not be recognised in totality but every effort expended to make it available too.
Concerted efforts should sincerely be made for infusing new lease of life in the Regulatory Authority as it becomes bounden duty for the Government to make the Regulatory Authority quite strong and capable by providing the structural support and never keep it ”starving” of appointment of its head and members on it, on back to back basis.
Why is not, as such, Jal Shakti Department of Jammu and Kashmir initiating necessary steps and taking up the matter with the Government for appointment of a new Chairperson by filling up the vacant post. While on papers, efficacy and strength of the Regulatory Authority is sought to be strengthened , the ground realities being that several additional posts which were sanctioned for the purpose a year back have not been filled so far. At best deputing on temporary basis a few engineers to the Authority is all that is done in the name of augmenting the staff strength which means persistent staff shortage and poor management of water resources including fixing the cost of water. Conservation of scarce resources of water becomes the immediate casualty of the non-serious approach of the Government. It is one thing that Jammu and Kashmir is adequately blessed by nature in matters of water resources but wantonly exploiting these resources and caring least about conservation may land the present generation in whatever capacity into the realm of water culprits. Should we, including the Government, not do everything possible under the sky to save water, conserve its resources and fix cost of its use and penalty for misuse? Therefore, the Government must reinvigorate the JK Water Resources Regulatory Authority by making it structurally all viable and powerful.
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