By: Rehan Qayoom Mir
Srinagar, Jul 07: Nearly 40 per cent of Srinagar’s drinking water is being used to irrigate lawns and gardens, prompting the government to push for the reuse of treated wastewater for non-drinking purposes, Housing and Urban Development Department (HUDD) said on Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, HUDD Commissioner/Secretary Mandeep Kaur said the government is working to rationalise the city’s water supply network while ensuring adequate water availability across Srinagar.
“There are two aspects to water supply: availability and rationalisation. While water is being supplied, the rationalisation of its distribution in Srinagar is still lacking,” she said.
Kaur said one of the city’s biggest challenges is that the same potable water supply is used for both household consumption and irrigation of lawns and gardens. “In most cities, untreated or raw water is supplied separately for irrigating lawns and gardens. That infrastructure is currently missing in Srinagar,” she said.
Referring to a recent assessment, the HUDD Secretary said nearly 40 per cent of the city’s drinking water is consumed for irrigating lawns and gardens without any payment, describing it as “non-revenue water.”
She said the government, despite limited financial resources, is committed to improving water management and is seeking greater public participation in conserving the resource.
To reduce dependence on potable water, Kaur said the government is prioritising the reuse of treated water from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) for irrigation and commercial purposes.
“Wherever treated water can be used for irrigation or commercial purposes, the drinking water supply will be replaced accordingly. This is the practice followed in other cities as well,” she said.
Kaur further said the rationalisation of Srinagar’s water supply network is underway and assured that tanker-based water supply is being provided to areas facing shortages. “We are ensuring tanker supply wherever there are shortages and will continue to address water supply issues as they arise,” she added. (KNO)
