Udhampur, Nov 11: Acute drinking water shortages have triggered widespread public outrage across Chenani town in Udhampur district, with hundreds of households alleging that the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department supplies tap water for barely thirty minutes once every three days, severely disrupting basic domestic living.
Local community representatives pointed out a glaring paradox: despite the town possessing an aggregate water reservoir storage capacity of approximately 90,000 gallons, tap supply remains erratic and insufficient. Data accessed through Right to Information (RTI) disclosures indicates that Chenani has 595 officially registered domestic and commercial connections. However, actual water delivery to legitimate consumers has collapsed due to severe structural decay in the conveyance system.
According to town residents, the municipal supply remains completely dependent on a dilapidated distribution network installed over half a century ago. The five-decade-old pipelines were designed to cater to a tiny hill settlement, but subsequent demographic growth, commercial expansion, and urban sprawl have drastically outpaced carrying capacity. The corroded, rusted galvanized pipes suffer from severe subterranean leakages and pressure drops along hilly gradients.
Frustrated by administrative apathy, residents have submitted a memorandum to district authorities demanding an immediate technical audit of all existing distribution arteries, pump stations, and filtration tanks. They urged the UT administration to sanction a comprehensive replacement scheme under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), laying modern heavy-duty ductile iron pipelines and conducting door-to-door physical audits to curb unauthorized tapping and restore equitable daily water supply.
Published by True Roots Media