STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Justice Bansi Lal Bhat of J and K High Court Jammu on Friday constituted a committee to prepare a technical report on volume of water available in Payee Nallah throughout the year and assess the drinking water requirement of village Kotli Manotrian.
The Committee comprising respondents including DC Reasi, XEN PHE Reasi and Secretary J and K WRRA was formed in response to a petition filed by Des Raj and others seeking direction to restrain water from Sirla village.
The Committee shall report whether the petitioners are being provided drinking water from Payee Nallah. The Committee will also report whether the water is being lifted from the tail end of Payee Nallah and, if so, does it affect the water supply of petitioners. The Committee will also assess the volume of water discharged from Guffa source and the volume of water that has been tapped by respondents for supply of water to Sirla and Bhagga villages. The committee will submit its report within two weeks. Senior Advocate S.S Lehar with Advocate Aditya Sharma appeared for the petitioners.
The court observed that since every water source in the State, in terms of provisions of Section 3 of Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act, 2010 is and shall remain the property of Government and any proprietary ownership or any riparian or usage right on such water resources vested in any individual, group of individuals or any other body, corporation, company, society or community are deemed to have been terminated and vested with the Government. It is for the State to respond to the demand of residents of an area where a water source exists to provide them the basic necessity of drinking water and in the event of scarcity of water, the same being spared for consumption of the residents of adjoining areas, to make appropriate arrangements for its supply and distribution. It would be dependent on the technical aspect of volume of water in a particular water source that the Government would be called upon to formulate the schemes for providing drinking water to the local residents and the residents of the adjoining areas besides providing water for irrigation of land. This would necessitate drawing of a technical report by respondent, who has been arrayed as respondent in terms of order dated 5th February, 2015. (JNF)
