Raw water pipeline can wait

In the holy month of Ramadhan, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) has announced that the water supply to nearly two dozens areas across Srinagar would remain affected for the two days from April 12, 2022. The decision has been taken in view of laying a 1200 mm raw water pipeline, which according to the Executive Engineer Master Plan division Srinagar had said is mandatory at this juncture. One fails to understand why this raw water pipeline laying was necessary at this time when there was a need to ensure adequate water supply to the consumers across Srinagar and other districts of Kashmir where most of the population at present are fasting in the holy month of Ramadhan. The supply would remain affected at a time when the government has directed the concerned departments to ensure adequate electricity and water to the people in the holy month of Ramadhan. There are people who question the department’s unnecessary decisions, which would leave a large population to lurch at large. The department at this juncture should have given priority to mitigating the sufferings of people instead of pushing them to the wall in this holy month. There is a need to consider providing water supply to the people in this holy month and put all these unnecessary decisions at halt till the end of this month so that the people, who are on fast would heave a sigh of relief. Ensuring better facilities during the ongoing holy month would mitigate the sufferings of people across Kashmir.