Jammu is experiencing a severe urban water crisis

Jammu is experiencing a severe urban water crisis due to recent heavy rains and floods, which have damaged critical infrastructure like filtration plants, washed away pipelines, and submerged machinery, leaving nearly half the city without a regular water supply. The damage to water treatment plants on the River Tawi, coupled with erratic power supply to operational tube wells, has created a man-made disaster, exposing existing failures in governance and water supply systems. This crisis requires immediate government action, including restoring infrastructure and ensuring water distribution through tankers, to address the urgent needs of affected residents. Unprecedented rainfall last month caused flash floods that ravaged infrastructure, damaging Sitlee filtration plants and pipelines.  Three major filtration plants on the Tawi-Sitlee, Boria, and Dhounthly rivers were badly damaged. Nearly half of Jammu city is without a regular water supply.  Jammuites are struggling to access clean water for basic needs, with shortages lasting over a week. The crisis highlights the fragility of the water supply system and the failures of governance in handling such natural calamities. The crisis demands immediate action from the government as the Jammu Power Development Corporation Ltd. hHas repaired the damaged system with in record time, Jal Shakti Department also need to repair its damaged system on war footing. Focus should be needed on replacing damaged motors and restoring water treatment plants to ensure functionality. Till then Jal Shakti Deparment should provide water supply on rotation baisis  in the affected areas. Providing water through tankers is necessary to supply residents in affected areas while the infrastructure is being repaired. Work orders for the installation of new motors are needed to prevent future disruptions. However, due to dual power system, Jammu today stands at the crossroads of one of its worst urban water crisis. While the unprecedented rains and flash floods that lashed the city last month wreaked havoc on infrastructure, the crisis has laid bare not just the fragility of our water supply system but also the glaring failures of governance. Three major filtration plants on the river Tawi-Sitlee, Boria and Dhounthly-have been badly damaged, with pipelines washed away, motors submerged, and silt clogging critical infrastructure. The City water supply, now under the JMC, has been struggling to restore even partial functionality. To place the blame entirely on heavy rains is convenient but dishonest. This crisis is not born overnight-it is the result of decades of neglect. The Dhounthly Filtration Plant, dating back to the early 20th century, still supplies parts of the old city without any meaningful augmentation. The most damning example of policy paralysis is the Chenab Water Supply Scheme by the Lt Govenror Administration too . It is no surprise, then, that when the rains struck, the fragile system crumbled like a house of cards.  In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that a capital city should depend on century-old plants, fragile tube wells, and an Negilqance of Jammu Municipal Corporation.