J&K Staring at Water Crisis This Year, Warns CM Omar

75% deficit precipitation this winter has led to the drying up of Kashmir water sources; CM seeks residents' cooperation to tide over the crisis

- Ashiq Hussain

SRINAGAR: After two consecutive dry winters, Jammu and Kashmir is staring at a water crisis, and the alert was sounded by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday. He has called a meeting of the Jal Shakti department to plan on how to deal with the developing crisis. "J&K is staring at a water crisis this year. It's not a recent phenomenon; actually, it's been building up for a few years now. While the government will have to adopt a more proactive approach for water management and conservation, it can't just be a government-centric approach. All of us residents of J&K will have to change the way we take water for granted. I'll be reviewing the measures the Jal Shakti (public health and engineering) department intends to take to deal with the developing crisis. I'll also be talking to the people of J&K over the next few months about what we can do collectively," Abdullah posted on X.

There were multiple protests in summer last year as well against water scarcity. But this time it is more severe, with water scarcity developing even in winter. The rain deficit in January and February is the main reason.