The Aryavarth Express
Udhampur (Jammu and Kashmir)
The Udhampur district is reeling under a severe water shortage after heavy rains and flash floods in August caused extensive damage to local water supply infrastructure. According to the Jal Shakti Department, nearly 160 of the more than 200 operational water supply schemes in the district were damaged, leaving large parts of the region struggling for water.
Executive Engineer of the Jal Shakti Department, Udhampur, Sandeep Gupta, said that 24 of the damaged schemes suffered major destruction and remain non-functional. He added that the ongoing projects under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) also sustained heavy losses, forcing work to come to a complete halt.
“We faced several problems between August and September. Out of around 200 water supply schemes, nearly 160 were affected. Twenty-four suffered severe damage and are yet to be restored. We have managed to restore about 70–80% of the water supply, but the new JJM project was badly hit, and all work has stopped,” Gupta said.
Residents of Darsoo village described the situation as dire. Villager Vibhakar Singh said the rains and floods not only disrupted water supply but also washed away local roads.
“There are serious water problems in our village. The JJM project here was completely washed away… even the roads have been destroyed,” he shared.
Another resident, Latif, urged the administration to resume work on the JJM scheme and provide swift compensation for flood-related losses.
“The heavy rains and floods from 26 August to 9 September caused massive damage to government schemes. The JJM project has not restarted yet. I appeal to the government to resume it at the earliest. Many roads are damaged, and people are facing great hardship. I also appeal to Shivraj Singh Chouhan, J&K Minister Javid Ahmad Dar, DC Saloni Rai, and Ranbir Singh Pathania to give urgent attention to these issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Jal Shakti Department in Udhampur continues efforts to restore water supply across the affected areas.
