Jammu, Dec 1 : National Conference Additional General Secretary and Former Minister Ajay Kumar Sadhotra today expressed grave concern over acute shortage of drinking water across the Jammu Region.
According to a press release, he reacted sharply to the claims of 75 percent coverage of households in Jammu and Kashmir under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), saying the ground realities betray the administrative bragging. Sadhotra took stock of the arrangements made by the Zone Committee Reasi-Udhampur Zone for the Zonal Convention at Tikri. He visited the venue of Convention.
The meeting was convened to finalise the arrangements of one day convention, being organised by Zonal President Abdul Gani Malik, former minister and his team. The convention is to be addressed by Omar Abdullah, Vice President National Conference on December3.
Sadhotra said, “Har Ghar Nal Hai Par Jal Nahin, there are taps but not water. The scarcity of water has become a new norm and even districts of Udhampur, Reasi, Katra and other districts of the Jammu region face shortage of drinking water.”
NC leader added that even as the common people are grappling with water scarcity, the administration is coming up with brownie points of Jammu and Kashmir having achieved the distinction of ranking third in the country in quality monitoring of the tap water. “This is hilarious and ironic, as the taps run dry and the government is talking about the quality and its monitoring,”Sadhotra said. He referred to the acute water shortage even in Jammu district. “Moreover, areas of Jammu Smart City like Muthi, Barnai, Roop Nagar, Janipur, Chinore, Keran, Thather, Paloura, Domana people are getting water after weeks time and that too for short duration. The rural areas of the Jammu North Assembly Constituency like Karwanda, Kanger, Bhalwal, Taawa, Domana, Mishriwala, Pandorian, Pakhian, Assarwan, Badani are facing shortage of drinking water. These are the peripheries of Jammu City, one wonders what must be the situation in the Rural areas,” he said.