Sopore, June 10 (KNS): National Conference leader and Sopore MLA Irshad Rasool Kar on Wednesday said the town’s drinking water shortage is a result of no major project being commissioned in the last three decades, even as he announced an immediate 30,000-litre augmentation of water tanker capacity.
Speaking to news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS), MLA Kar said the PHE division has “crossed Sopore” and that the current water tanker capacity has reached nearly 30,000 litres. He attributed the severe shortfall to delays in the launch of the AMRUT scheme.
Two tankers have been procured from the district mining fund on the initiative of the DC and the MLA, he said, adding that the PHE minister has promised additional tankers in the coming weeks.
As part of a long-term fix, 100–120 km of pipelines will be laid under AMRUT within the next 2–3 months to replace the ageing network, he said.
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Referring to recent protests over water scarcity in the town, MLA Kar said no significant investment has been made in drinking water infrastructure in the last 15–20 years.
Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel“I would say no new projects have come in the last 30 years. The shortfall will not end in a year or two,” he said.
He expressed hope that schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and AMRUT, once completed, would resolve the issue.
Acknowledging bottlenecks, the MLA said residents have installed direct booster motors and sumps due to the lack of a proper network — a practice that prevents water from reaching tail-end areas.
“The department is technically right, and people are also right. People need drinking water. These issues will persist until we have a proper setup,” he said, urging patience from all stakeholders. (KNS)