Dear Editor,
As you are aware that Jammu city is suffering very badly due to shortage of potable water supply. There are certain areas of Jammu city where water is supplied for half anhour in a day. The reason is the lack of resources of water. Tawi River and some tubewells are the only sources. In this connection perusal of previous records will reveal that a scheme was conceived for lifting of water from Chenab River about 30 years ago. The scheme envisaged to be completed in two phases. But very sorry to submit that this scheme was consigned to records on the basis of some technical reasons and due to lack of will thereby Jammu city is still experiencing agony of water supply problem. This problem aggravates in summer season every year when in some areas either the water is not supplied daily or supplied for half an hour a day.
Jammu city has expanded manifold but the previous governments had not bothered to plan to enhance the resources of water except for boring of some tubewells. Because the elite class of Jammu leave Jammu with the Darbar move without caring for the common man of Jammu and nothing concrete has been done in this behalf.
It is not out of place to mention here that boring of tubewells/use of excess ground water is not a permanent solution of the problem, as harvesting of ground water is like spending of savings extravagantly. In this connection, Rajinder Singh, an authority of water management and Magsaysay Awardee for Water management in Rajasthan, has quoted that rain water is like current account and ground water is like saving and a society which spends savings un-justifuly without putting anything in the saving account shall become bankrupt. But it is ill fate of Jammu province that concept of rain water harvesting has not been considered rather the water bodies in the catchment areas for Greater Jammu who maintained the table of ground water have been filled up for petty considerations without considering the future of coming generations. Some of the waterbodies which have been filled up are Rani Ka Talab, Mubarak Mandi Ka Talab, Arorian Ki Chhapri, Patroli Talab, Paloura Talab, Kote Talab etc, and because of this, whole water of Jammu is flowing to Pakistan and there is every apprehension that Jammu province shall likely to suffer because of lower table of ground water which will ultimately make the tubewells infructuous. This has also affected Jammu area as when there is no conservation of water the rain water turns into floods. Talabs which have been saved from the eyes of government/land mafia are in shambles and no authority is giving due attention for its conservation.
Therefore, this is high time that concept of rain water harvesting is taken up seriously otherwise the water problem will aggravate further and then we shall have no panacea. Being a Jammuitey you may appreciate this problem as on one occasion a Chief Minister has committed that he does not know about the water problem of Jammu city.
Surinder Kumar
Janipur Housing Colony Jammu
