Jammu, December 20: Reaffirming the government’s commitment to providing safe drinking water to every household in Jammu and Kashmir, Javed Ahmed Rana, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment, and Tribal Affairs, inaugurated a new tube well at Panch Mandir, Channi Himmat.
Speaking at the event, Minister Javed Rana highlighted that the newly inaugurated tube well would significantly improve the water supply in the area, addressing the growing demand for safe drinking water and offering relief to local residents facing water scarcity. “The commissioning of this tube well is a vital step towards ensuring a reliable water supply to the residents of Channi Himmat,” he said.
The tube well, with a capacity of 2.00 lakh gallons and a safe discharge rate of 10,000 gallons per hour, is part of an ambitious project to augment water supply in water-deficit areas, including Channi Himmat, Sanjay Nagar, and Vhour Camp. The initiative includes drilling three tube wells, alongside necessary civil and mechanical infrastructure, to ensure a consistent and adequate water supply.
Minister Rana also emphasized the importance of adhering to quality standards and meeting project deadlines. He called for expedited efforts to complete the pending works on the other two tube wells in Sanjay Nagar and Vhour Camp, which are currently under construction. “We must ensure that these tube wells are completed within the set deadlines to benefit the local communities without further delay,” he stressed.
The tube well at Channi is part of a broader scheme, launched in the 2022-23 UT CAPEX budget, with a total estimated cost of ₹652.78 lakh. The entire water augmentation project, including the additional tube wells in Sanjay Nagar and Vhour Camp, is scheduled to be fully commissioned by March 2025.
MLA Vikram Randhawa and local residents expressed their gratitude for the project, which promises to alleviate the water scarcity challenges in the region and ensure a steady supply of clean drinking water for households.