Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana today undertook an extensive tour of the flood-affected areas of Jammu city, particularly Channi and Sainik Colony, which bore the brunt of the recent torrential rains.
The Minister, accompanied by MLA Ch. Vikram Randhawa and DDC Member T.S. Tony, also visited GDCT and KB Public School to assess the scale of damage and interact with affected residents.
During the visit, the Minister conducted an on-ground review of the ongoing water supply restoration efforts undertaken by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department.
Emphasizing the importance of swift and fair distribution of essential services in times of crisis, he issued firm instructions to the Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineers of PHE, Jammu, to personally monitor the deployment and operations of private water tankers in the affected localities.
The directive comes in light of widespread public complaints about the unregulated functioning of private water tankers, ranging from overcharging and inconsistent availability to concerns about the quality and safety of the supplied water.
Such irregularities, the Minister noted, pose serious risks to public health, hygiene and equitable access, particularly during an emergency.
Taking serious note of the situation, Rana had earlier convened a review meeting, where he instructed the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Commissioner of Jammu Municipal Corporation to take immediate and effective steps to regulate private tanker operations.
He stressed that no operator should be allowed to exploit the crisis by charging arbitrary rates or denying water to certain areas.
Acting swiftly on these directions, both the DC Jammu and JMC Commissioner have already initiated regulatory measures within their jurisdictions to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in the distribution of water through private tankers.
Furthermore, the Minister has instructed several Deputy Commissioners across the Jammu region to implement similar measures and maintain close oversight of tanker operations in their areas.
He reiterated that ensuring safe, timely and affordable access to drinking water is a top priority for the Omar Abdullah Government and directed officials to maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards any lapses.
Meanwhile, Jal Shakti Department has also designated several officers as Area-wise in-charge officers who shall respond to and resolve urgent water supply related requests of general public. The contacts of the officers have been disseminated through media.