Ladakh Chief Secretary’s social media outreach resolves water issue in Leh
Kargil, Feb 2: Chief Secretary of Ladakh Ashish Kundra used social media intervention to resolve a long-pending drinking water problem in a remote area of Leh, with the administration restoring supply within hours after a citizen flagged the issue online.
The development has brought immense relief to the residents of the area and has been hailed as a significant step towards citizen-centric governance. A local resident and a scribe tweeted about the issue of non-availability of drinking water in Tyaqshi (Gama Kharpun Thang) area of remote Ladakh tagging the Ladakh administration’s as well as the Chief Secretary Ladakh’s X handle.
“Tyaqshi (Gama Kharpun Thang) faces a water crisis. Jal Jeevan Mission is not working. People are forced to use polluted Shyok River water. Urgent action needed” Hassina Bano, a local resident and scribe wrote on X, tagging the top official. The Chief Secretary personally responded to the tweet, assuring the citizen that the issue would be addressed.
Within hours, the concerned department swung into action, and the water supply was restored.
The citizen was thrilled to see the issue resolved so quickly and tweeted again, this time thanking the Chief Secretary for his prompt action. The tweet read “Heartfelt thanks to the Hon’ble Chief Secretary @ashishkundra Sir, for taking immediate action and directing the department to resolve the water problem of Yakshi village. Grateful for the swift and effective intervention” the netizen tweeted later.
Interestingly, another citizen posted about the non-availability of a block development officer (BDO) in Sankoo block to which the top official responded by assuring of finding a solution to the issue. “Sankoo Block urgently needs a permanent BDO. The current BDO is handling charge of Barsoo, Sankoo & Taisuru, which affects administrative efficiency and public services.
Requesting Hon’ble @Ig_ladakh Sir, CS @ashishkundra Sir & CEC Kargil @drajaffer Sir to kindly intervene” wrote a local citizen Muneer Ahmad on X.
Meanwhile, the development has been welcomed by residents, who have been facing difficulties due to various day to day issues. “This is a great example of how technology can be used to improve governance,” a citizen said. “We hope that this initiative will be replicated in other areas as well.”
An official told Greater Kashmir that the Ladakh administration has been working towards improving citizen services and increasing transparency. The Chief Secretary’s social media initiative is seen as a significant step in this direction. The Chief Secretary’s use of social media to resolve the issue marked a new era of governance in Ladakh. It showed that the administration was committed to listening to the concerns of its citizens and resolving them promptly. The incident also highlighted the potential of social media in improving governance and citizen engagement.
