Jammu And Kashmir Stares At Looming Water Crisis, CM Omar Abdullah Calls For Collective Action

In a post on X, CM Omar said that he will meet people in coming months to chalk out a strategy about the water crisis.

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir is staring at a growing water crisis with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah calling for action from the government as well as residents to tackle the situation.

The prolonged dryness triggered a staggering 79 percent rainfall deficit from January 1 to February 12 with the Union Territory receiving just 29.8 millimetres of rain against the expected 140 mm.

“J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. It’s not a recent phenomenon, actually it’s been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management & conservation, it can’t just be a government centric approach. All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted,” Abdullah said in a statement on X.

A day ago, the Public Health Engineering ordered for a 30 hour shutdown of water supply to the vast network of Srinagar neighbourhood starting February 22 for carrying out desilting.

This comes amid the drying up of water bodies and reduced water levels in rivers and streams. Experts have warned of its impact on horticulture and agriculture, the mainstay of the economy in the region.

In the face of this, the Chief Minister said he will be carrying out a review of the measures for dealing with the emerging situation.

“I’ll also be talking to the people of J&K over the next few months about what we can do collectively,” he added.