Srinagar, May 30 : Amidst the water scarcity issues in several Srinagar areas and other parts of Kashmir, the Public Health Engineering (PHE) authorities Kashmir on Thursday said that a crackdown will be intensified to regularize the “illegal” water supply connection, terming “non judicious” use of water as one of the primary reasons for the water scarcity in Kashmir.

Vivek Kohli, Chief Engineer, PHE Kashmir, while speaking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), stated that the department will regularize all “unregistered” water connections and disconnect those that fail to comply.

“Our department is duty-bound to provide water supply to all registered consumers. However, those with illegal connections will have their supply cut off unless they regularize their connections,” the Chief Engineer said.

Highlighting the misuse of drinking water, he pointed out that people often use it for irrigating kitchen gardens, parks, orchards, and for washing cars, exacerbating the scarcity.

“All our water treatment plants are operating at full capacity, with no shortfall in generation. The demand in and around Srinagar is being met, but the rising temperatures have increased the demand,” he added.

The Chief Engineer urged people to use water judiciously and warned that illegal connections disrupt the supply for legitimate consumers.

Notably, since the past few days, Srinagar and other parts of the valley have been facing water scarcity issues, with many areas in Srinagar protesting and demanding adequate supply of drinking water.

CE PHE Kashmir added that the intensified drive aims to ensure equitable water distribution and mitigate the ongoing water crisis, urging people to register their water connections to avoid disconnection and contribute to the efficient use of water resources—(KNO)