Emphasising the need for a long-term water security plan for Jammu, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the government intends to fully utilise the current abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) to implement major water infrastructure projects for the region.
After several BJP legislators including Sham Lal Sharma raised the issue during Question Hour in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, Abdullah said while efforts are on to revive defunct tubewells and other water sources, such steps are only short-term remedies and cannot meet Jammu’s future water requirements.
“Sharma is right in saying that this is like covering a wound with a bandage,” the chief minister said, stressing that planning must in view of the next 30 to 50 years, when traditional water sources are no longer sufficient.
