J&K minister admits water shortage, promises to overcome the crisis

Srinagar, Aug 20 (UNI) Admitting that the state was facing water shortage, Jammu and Kashmir Public Health Engineering and Irrigation and Flood Control Minister Mohammad Dilawar Mir said measures are being taken to overcome the crisis.

In reply to separate questions by Nizam Uddin Bhat and Bashir Ahmad Naaz in the Legislative Council today, Mr Mir said the government accords priority to management of water resources and its utilisation.

He said work on different plans was going on in the state to help overcome the water crisis.

The minister said the irrigation and flood control projects and plan prepared by the department under his control takes adequate care at the initial stage itself of optimum utilization and sustainability by working out the cost benefit ratio and techno- economic feasibility. Subsequently, the completed projects are looked after in terms of their upkeep and maintenance as per the available resources to ensure adequate utilisation.

Mr Bhat, not satisfied with the answer, alleged that the minister was misleaing the house as specific reply to his question about the number of projects and plan and their cost was not given.

''The member is confused as the answer was right'', the minister said.

The minister admitted that irrigation gets the top priority while flood control was far behind because of paucity of funds for this sector.

We have not decided to give equal importance to both, he said.

To the question of Bashir Ahmad Naaz, the minister admitted that the state was facing water shortage.

He said 35 new water supply schemes were taken up for execution during 2006-07 in Rajouri and Poonch districts under ARWSP.

However, there is no proposal to start work on any new scheme, he said, adding once the work on old schemes is completed, the new schemes will be forwarded to the Centre for funding.

UNI