JAMMU, February 6, 2026 — During the ongoing Budget Session’s Question Hour, Minister for Jal Shakti, Javed Ahmed Rana, informed the Legislative Assembly that 49 operational Water Supply Schemes (WSSs) are currently meeting the drinking water needs of 50 villages across the Lolab and Machil regions.
Replying to a query from MLA Qaysar Jamshaid Lone, the Minister highlighted that the government has established 16 new borewell/dugwell sources and 17 new spring/nallah sources over the last three years to combat scarcity in deficit areas.
He further detailed that 22 new schemes are being developed under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and UT CAPEX, with 12 already operational and the remainder in various stages of completion to ensure a sustainable supply of 55 liters per capita per day (LPCD).
While acknowledging that challenges such as drought and natural disasters persist, the Minister assured the House that rural and hilly areas remain a priority and that tanker services are deployed as a temporary measure where needed.
Additionally, Minister Rana emphasized the importance of resource utilization, directing officers to ensure sanctioned funds are used efficiently and calling on legislators to actively monitor the execution of works to prevent the surrender of funds.
