Amid acute water scarcity, DC Baramulla calls for judicious use of supply

Baramulla, Dec 5: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Baramulla, Minga Sherpa, on Friday urged people to use drinking water and electricity judiciously in view of an acute shortage of water across the district, attributing the crisis to prolonged dry weather and reduced flow in major streams and water sources.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a review meeting convened in Sopore sub-district, Minga Sherpa said the scarcity of water was primarily due to the prevailing dry spell, which has badly affected key water bodies.

“The Shrakwara stream, for instance, is connected with Shranz Fall and is one of the major sources of drinking water. The stream had a flow of 200 to 300 cusecs but has now dwindled to less than 10 inches,” DC Baramulla said.

He, however, added that to overcome the prevailing acute shortage of drinking water, the administration will provide two additional water tankers, funded through the District Mineral Fund, to the Sopore division. “We will strengthen the supply with two additional water tankers till the AMRUT scheme gets completed here,” he said.

The DC stressed that Baramulla was not an exception and that the entire Valley was facing scarcity of water supply due to prolonged dry weather over the past few years.

Commenting on illegal mining, DC Minga Sherpa said all government projects are being executed using legally sourced material. “It is a dual challenge as we have to curb illicit operations while safeguarding livelihoods. Illegal mining not only causes revenue loss to the exchequer but also severely impacts communities, particularly those residing near riverbanks,” he said.

He added that all the concerned departments, including the Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, the District Mineral Officer (DMO) and the Police, will work together to outline a collective approach to stop illegal mining. “We do not want to completely close it but our intention is to regulate the system. We want to ensure that livelihood is secured as well. Our focus is to safeguard the environment and ensure that royalties reach the government treasuries,” he said.

He further explained that, as per a government circular, only traditional miners from the fishermen community are allowed to extract sand via shikaras in the Jhelum. “All others must operate through the official block tender process,” he said.

On the rehabilitation of street vendors in Sopore, the Deputy Commissioner said the vendors did not get sufficient footfall at the previously designated location. “But the Additional Deputy Commissioner Sopore and the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) are now jointly working to identify a suitable location within the town itself,” he said, adding that Sopore’s congested and densely populated character poses a major challenge for accommodating vendors.

The DC also called for judicious use of electricity, urging households to avoid using crude electric heaters which contribute to overloading and frequent load shedding. “Once you exceed the usage beyond the agreement, it will impact the supply,” he said.

Earlier, Minga Sherpa chaired a meeting with all officers of Sopore sub-division to review key civic issues, including water and power supply, besides meeting civil society groups to discuss the daily problems being faced by the residents of Sopore town.