Rajasthan: CM Gehlot's home district Jodhpur among 10 districts facing water shortage

With the maximum urban population living in Jodhpur, the water shortage is more compounded here. The extent of the water crisis can be gauged from the fact that the district administration is guarding the water reserve to prevent theft and misuse of water.

Jodhpur: Amid sweltering heat, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's home district Jodhpur is among ten districts facing a water crisis due to the collapse of the common bank between the Indira Gandhi Canal and the Sirhind feeder. Besides Jodhpur, the breach has led to a water shortage in Jaisalmer and Barmer of Marwar. In many areas, water is being supplied after three to four days.

With the maximum urban population living in Jodhpur, the water shortage is more compounded here. The extent of the water crisis can be gauged from the fact that the district administration of Jodhpur is guarding the water reserve to prevent theft and misuse of water. The situation is more or less the same in Jaisalmer and Barmer. The water shortage has also arisen in Pali where the administration has been forced to share the water supply with Jodhpur.

People in the outskirts of Jodhpur city are suffering the most. In many areas, the administration is supplying water through tankers. In many parts of Jodhpur, people are compelled to drink water from hand pumps. Apart from the urban area, the situation is also not good in the villages. The district administration has issued a water curtailment schedule till June 4 to avoid wastage of water.

In Bikaner, people have been complaining that water is being supplied once in three days. The Canal has been a major source of water since it was built in 1996. Earlier, the water used to be supplied to the areas from the Jawai Dam of Pali. The higher dependence on the canal coupled with the rise in population over the years has led to water scarcity in the Pali district.

After the canal breach, authorities have been transporting 40 lakh liters of water to Pali on a daily basis. Jodhpur Collector Himanshu Gupta says that saving water was the key to tackling water scarcity and sending water to areas facing acute water shortages. As per officials, the city of Jodhpur requires 14 to 15 mcft of water. Neeraj Mathur, Chief Engineer, Jodhpur PHED, says that efforts are on to reserve water in bulk to ensure there is no shortage in the affected areas.