Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana today undertook an extensive tour of the flood-affected areas of Jammu city, particularly Channi and Sainik Colony.
The Minister, accompanied by MLA Ch. Vikram Randhawa and DDC Member T.S. Tony, also visited Gurjar Desh Charitable Trust and KB Public School to assess the scale of damage and interact with affected residents.
During the visit, the Minister conducted an on-ground review of the ongoing water supply restoration efforts undertaken by the Jal Shakti Department.
Emphasizing the importance of swift and fair distribution of essential services in times of crisis, he issued firm instructions to the Chief Engineer and Superintending Engineers of Jal Shakti, Jammu, to monitor the deployment and operations of private water tankers in the affected localities.
Maintaining that there should be strict monitoring of the water tanker operations, Rana said that operators must not be allowed to take undue advantage of the crisis.
Rana had earlier convened a review meeting, where he instructed the Deputy Commissioner Jammu and Commissioner, Jammu Municipal Corporation to take immediate and effective steps to regulate private tanker operations.
Furthermore, the Minister has instructed several Deputy Commissioners across the Jammu region to implement similar measures and maintain close oversight of tanker operations in their areas.
He reiterated that ensuring safe, timely and affordable access to drinking water is a top priority for the Omar Abdullah Government and directed officials to maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards any lapses.