Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana, today conducted an extensive inspection of the 1.125 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) Rapid Sand Filtration Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at Mehjoor Nagar, Srinagar.
Accompanied by MLA, Ahsan Pardesi and senior officers of the department, the Minister reviewed the plant’s operations, treatment capacity and service delivery mechanisms.
During the inspection, the Minister emphasized the significance of sustained water quality and efficient distribution.
He lauded the efforts of the field staff and engineers but noted the pressing need to match the infrastructure capacity with the growing population demands of the city.
The Minister also reviewed the functioning of Water Supply Scheme (WSS) at Padshahi Bagh, which currently serves a population of approximately 35,000 residents, with raw water sourced directly from the River Jhelum.
The Minister issued on-the-spot directions for augmentation of the WSS through installation of a new 2.00 MGD Water Treatment Plant.
To facilitate this capacity upgrade, Rana directed the Chief Engineer, PHE Department, to expedite the acquisition of 6 kanal of land required for the expansion. He emphasised stronger coordination between the district administration and revenue authorities to complete the land transfer at the earliest.
“The Government led by Omar Abdullah remains steadfast in its commitment to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every household,” Rana stated.
The Minister reiterated that such inspections will be a regular feature to monitor on-ground progress, identify bottlenecks and ensure timely project completion under the Jal Jeevan Mission and allied urban water supply initiatives.
Chief Engineer, PHE, Superintending Engineer PHE, Executive Engineers and other technical staff were present during the inspection.
