Srinagar, Mar 11 (KNO): The Jammu and Kashmir government said on Tuesday it is actively working to ensure a safe and adequate water supply in rural areas.
Responding to a question from MLA Gh Mohiuddin Mir, the Minister for Jal Shakti Department, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that during prolonged dry spells, several areas in Rajpora constituency—including Bellow, Barpora, Murran and Zadoora—experience water shortages. To address this, water tankers are deployed as an interim measure.
"Efforts are ongoing to ensure safe and adequate drinking water supply to all rural households, including those in Rajpora constituency, through the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and other UT-funded schemes. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide every rural household with a tap water connection supplying water at 55 litres per capita per day, meeting the quality standards set by BIS 10500," the minister said.
He said while most villages already have piped water supply through Public Stand Posts (PSPs) installed under earlier programmes, many of the schemes currently under execution are retrofitting projects to augment existing infrastructure to align with JJM objectives.
"There are 44 schemes under execution with an estimated cost of Rs 7835.78 lakh, taken up under Jal Jeevan Mission and UT CAPEX. Out of these, 18 projects have been completed, while work on 26 schemes is in various stages of progress. As of now, Rs 3611.23 lakh has been utilized for these projects," the minister added.
Addressing another question, the R&B Minister acknowledged public demands for footbridges over Romshi Nullah near Karimabad and Rambi-Ara Nullah near Astan Shareef Litter.
The Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for these footbridges have been prepared as follows:
Astan Shareef Litter: Construction of a 1 x 40-metre span footbridge over Nallah Rambi Ara Rakhi Litter, with an estimated cost of Rs 409.30 lakh.
Karimabad: Construction of a 3 x 40-metre span, 2-metre-wide footbridge over Romshi Nallah, estimated at Rs 586.20 lakh.
However, the minister said the absence of these footbridges does not cause significant inconvenience to the residents of Karimabad and Litter, as they primarily serve agricultural connectivity rather than being essential public infrastructure.
"The footbridge over Romshi Nallah near Karimabad mainly provides access to agricultural fields. There are two existing bridges in the area: Chewa Kalan Bridge, located 1 km upstream, and Gudoora Bridge on NH-444, 1.15 km downstream. The demand for an additional bridge has been recently noted," he informed.
Similarly, the footbridge over Nallah Rambi Ara at Rakhi Litter is intended to connect agricultural lands, paddy fields, and orchards, providing a shorter route for locals. However, Zahidbagh Bridge, located 400 metres downstream, already ensures connectivity.
"Both projects will be considered for construction based on the availability of funds and priority assessments," the minister added—(KNO)