Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jun 23 : As Kashmir reels under a rising heatwave, the demand for water supply has surged sharply across the valley.
Officials from the Jal Shakti Department on Monday said the overall water supply remains normal, despite increased consumption and misuse in many areas.
Speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KN, Er Taj Mohammad Chowdhary, Chief Engineer, Jal Shakti (PHE) Kashmir, said the water supply is operating normally. He said the department is witnessing a significant rise in demand due to ongoing hot and dry weather conditions.
“The supply is as usual, but the demand has increased drastically. People are misusing water—using it in lawns, fields, and for non-essential purposes,” he said, adding that the department has pressed additional tankers into service wherever required.
Chowdhary said over a dozen water tankers are operational within Srinagar city alone, while every district across Kashmir is equipped with tankers that can be increased if the need arises. “We have directed field officials to act strictly against misuse. Surveillance teams have also been formed,” he said.
The CE also said water supply to essential services like hospitals remains a top priority and that all filtration plants are functioning at full capacity.
Meanwhile, the Kashmir Weather Forecast has predicted dry and hot conditions for the next two days, with temperatures likely to touch 35–36°C in the plains. A fresh weather system bringing possible relief is expected to arrive around June 25.
Moreover, amid the heatwave, MLAs are also calling for action and checking preparedness in their respective areas.
With the growing water crisis in rural areas, MLA Bandipora earlier on June 21 chaired a review meeting to assess the functioning of the Jal Shakti Department and the Irrigation & Flood Control (I\&FC) sector. Similarly, a key focus of the meeting was the desilting of agricultural canals to restore irrigation in farmlands.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviewed the essential supplies for summer on June 19. Earlier this week, he chaired a high-level review meeting in Jammu to assess the preparedness of essential services, including Jal Shakti, in view of the ongoing summer conditions.
During the meeting, the CM directed the Jal Shakti Department and Jammu Municipal Corporation to ensure timely water tanker services in areas facing shortages, especially newly populated localities. He stressed speeding up work on incomplete water supply schemes and ensuring uninterrupted delivery of water, electricity, and health services during the summer months and the upcoming Amarnath Yatra and Muharram.
The meeting reviewed coordination across departments, forest fire response plans, desilting of irrigation canals and adequate medical and ration stock preparedness
