SE Canal shortages affect drinking water in Srinagar, Ganderbal: Govt

Srinagar, Sep 24: The Jammu and Kashmir government has acknowledged that shortages in the Sindh Extension (SE) Canal during the peak irrigation season affect drinking water availability in parts of Srinagar and Ganderbal districts.
The government made the disclosure in a written reply to a starred question raised by MLA Salman Ali Sagar regarding uninterrupted water supply and the impact of reduced raw-water availability in the SE Canal.
According to the Jal Shakti Department, the SE Canal is the main source of raw water for the 30 MGD Rangil Water Treatment Plant, 6.80 MGD Alusteng WTP and various other water supply schemes in rural Ganderbal.
The department, said the raw water intake gets disrupted during the peak irrigation season, affecting water availability to tail-end households. To mitigate the situation, the department resorts to shift-wise supplies, rationalisation of distribution networks and deployment of tankers.
It said the SE Canal is fed by the Sindh Power Canal, with a major portion of its discharge initially utilised for power generation, while the remaining water flows into the SE Canal and is used as raw water for multiple filtration plants.
“Due to this, supplies in the SE Canal deplete from Village Hadura onwards,” the department said, resulting in shortages in Khimber and Chatterham areas of the Hazratbal constituency, particularly during peak irrigation season coupled with deficient rainfall.
The government further stated that the Sindh Power Canal is designed around a general requirement of 400 cusecs, while a significant shortfall in canal discharge is observed during the irrigation season from April to September.
The department said the Sindh Power Canal and Sindh Extension Canal are the principal sources of drinking water for more than 13 lakh people in Srinagar and Ganderbal districts and provide raw water to 16 major water supply schemes.
“Owing to depleted capacity and canal safety concerns, no more than 300 cusecs can presently be maintained in the Power Canal, against the requirement of around 400 cusecs, leading to repeated complaints of drinking water scarcity,” it added.
The department said it had transferred Rs 200 lakh to JKPDCL during 2025-26 for maintenance and repair of the canal.
As per the reply, the Jal Shakti Department, through an official communication dated June 13, 2026, had highlighted the issue during the current season and requested JKPDCL to suspend operation of the Ganderbal Hydroelectric Power Project during the peak season from May to August to ensure sufficient drinking water availability.
Meanwhile, the department said the 5 MGD Rangil and 5 MGD Alusteng filtration plants are nearing completion/commissioning. Their raw water source is proposed to be tapped from the Sindh Extension Canal at designated locations.
Regarding the contingency plant, the government said it has been designed to operate during shutdowns of the SE Canal necessitated by repairs, including breach restoration, by lifting raw water from the Padshahi Canal.
However, the department clarified that the contingency arrangement cannot be operated throughout the year during the irrigation season, as the available discharge in the Padshahi Canal is only sufficient to cater to its own command area. (KNO)