Ajay Sharma
Reasi, May 20: Following a report by The Northlines, the Jal Shakti (PHE) Department in Reasi has issued an official notice to a resident of Laiter village in Tehsil Pouni over the alleged unauthorized sale of drinking water extracted from a public well.
The notice, issued by the Office of the Assistant Executive Engineer, Jal Shakti (PHE) Sub Division Reasi, states that the department has taken serious note of allegations that drinking water was being extracted from a public well using machinery and sold commercially without permission.
According to the official communication, “The department observed that the alleged activity raises concerns related to public health, water quality and violation of legal norms governing public water supply.”
“The well may be designated for personal/domestic use only, and commercial sale without requisite permissions violates local regulations,” the notice reads.
It further mentions that the sale of drinking water typically requires approvals from the Public Health Engineering Department and compliance with relevant water supply rules.
The department directed the accused person to immediately stop the sale of drinking water until proper permissions and quality certifications are obtained from competent authorities. The notice also warned that failure to comply could invite further legal action.
Earlier, the matter was surgaced when The Northlines made a detailed report over the issue, wherein private tanker operators were being charged money for filling water from a government source near Bambla in Tehsil Pouni.
Sources had alleged that water was being sold through tanker operators during a period when several villages in the area were facing acute drinking water shortage amid the ongoing summer season.
They had also claimed that large and small tankers were being filled regularly after payments ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 1,500, either in cash or through online transactions.
The alleged practice, according to sources, had been continuing for several years.
