Merely changing name from PHE to Jal Shakti Dept would not do any miracle in mitigating sufferings of consumers. The officers need to shun practice of shoot and scoot and work towards robust plans to augment capacity and plug loss of water instead of showcasing flowery development through reckless consumption of funds
JAMMU: Even as Babus of Jal Shakti Department manage to keep the Raj Bhawan in pleasant mood with tall claims of “accomplishing 100 %” task of tap water connections to all schools as well as anganwadi centres prior to deadline under much hyped Jal Jivan Mission project in the Union Territory, the residents in several areas of old Jammu city are grappling with chronic shortage of drinking water due to erratic water supply.
This crisis is outcome of absence of contingency as well as visionary plan to tackle growing demands of drinking water in city which is expanding at fast speed, maintained a senior officer of JSD.
Frequent power cuts is another cause of disruptive drinking water supply because of the fact that pumping station at Panjthirthi, Bhoria and Sitlee are all operating on electricity lines connected with domestic power stations in the city.
The water supply is part of essential services and thus all filtration/pumping stations need to operate on special electricity lines, added the JSD official preferring anonymity.
The city areas which are worst hit includes Panjthirthi, Ustad Mohalla, Bagh e Bahu, Rajeev Nagar, Qasim Nagar, Rehari Mohalla, Naranian Mohalla, Pacca Danga, Karan Nagar, Mastgarh, Jhullakha Mohalla, Gujjar Nagar, Janipur and Bantalab.
For couples of days together, the residents in these localities remain deprived of water and whenever the water released, it fails to reach its desired destination due to poor pressure, leakage and non availability of electricity in one or other areas.
In some areas, this problem further complicated due to curtailment in limit of water supply from 45 minutes to less than 20 minutes. This chronic water shortage has assumed an alarming proportion in Bagh e Bahu, Qasim Nagar, Ustad Mohalla, Rehari Mohalla, Pacca Danga, Janipur and Pir Mitha localities.
Blaming the officials of JSD for neglecting their woes, the aggrieved consumers lamented that focus of department is towards VIPs. For common man, they shamelessly show their helplessness, avers Jagdish Kumar of Ustad Mohalla.
There is regular supply of water without failure in VIPs areas whereas the residents of old city are treated with lame excuses, said Mulakh Raj Sharma.
Irony of the tragedy is that majority of wards in old city are represented by BJP councillors who so far also miserably failed to project drinking water issues appropriately before the concerned despite repeatedly clamouring for same in General House Meetings of JMC.
The city which needs around 85 MGD of water on daily basis is getting hardly 50 MGD. Moreover, the loss of water during distribution process on account of leakage, water theft and illegal connections besides frequent power cuts, voltage fluctuation and malfunctioning water pumps collectively playing spoilsport in smooth supply of water in city.
Ironically, the shortage of drinking water is prevailing since long and further aggravating with each passing year, the authority lacks futuristic plan to tackle it and instead pumped funds worth crores into new schemes without fixing existing distribution infrastructure.
As per insiders, the non revenue water loss is roughly around 40 % in Jammu city which exhibits poor management of resources in JSD and absence of accountability among the field and ground staff.
The city water supply is primarily based on Sitlee and Panjthirthi Water Filtration Plants which have capacity of providing 30 million gallons and 1.8 million gallons of water respectively every day and the authorities in JSD, Jammu attributes shortage of water due to 50 % shortfall in these vital water plants during rainy seasons due to accumulation of silt.
However, reliable sources in JSD maintained that shortage of water is mainly due to absence of contingency plan, wastage of water by consumers, leakage, illegal connections, faulty pumps, low fluctuation and frequent power cuts.
There is general shortfall of 35 MGD of water in the city. Sitlee water filtration Plant provides 30 MG of water everyday but its generation has been reduced to mere 40%. Tawi water supply from Panjthirthi has also been affected due to aged pumping machines and erratic power cuts as the power supply of pumping station at Dhounthly is connected with domestic power lines.
The higherups are misleading the Center as well as Raj Bhawan regarding tall claims of safe drinking water for Urban and Rural consumers, said an officer of JSD preferring anonymity.
On being contacted Commissioner-Secretary Jal Shakti Department, M. Raju said “He is “unaware” of shortage of drinking water supply in Jammu city”. I will enquire about it and get the same resolved at “earliest”, he added.