‘PANI MAAH’ CAMPAIGN TO HELP FIGHT WATER SCARCITY IN LADAKH

CHANDIGARH: Leh started rationing water way back in 2018—two hours in the morning and the evening. Other parts of the Ladakh region even are no better. Dry taps and tubewells have not been bothering city people but bureaucrats too. Hence, Under Jal Jivan Mission of the Government of India, Leh has started a massive water clean campaign ‘Paani Maah’ under which not only Tourists’ borne Litter and waste are cleaned but also there is massive water testing of all water streams of Leh and Ladakh. This is all to make available water resources either drinkable or worth usable and Target ‘No Tolerance on water wastage’.

According to a study by the Ladakh Ecological Development Group (LEDEG)—an environmental NGO based in Karzoo , Leh, an average Ladakhi uses 21 litres of water per day during summer and 10-12 litres during winter, while a tourist needs as much as 75 litres.

In this mission, the local government and people are serving hand in hand. There are 119 villages in Leh. Block and Gram Sabhas of Leh and Ladakh are collectively spreading awareness amongst local people to clean the water resources within a time-bound fashion. Leh Administration has set a target to clean around 940 water resources (streams and channels) and get them tested by 15 August and there are around 2000 water resources (streams and channels) in Ladakh. The campaign was initiated on 1 August and the target is to clean, test, report, strategize on the water resources by 31st August.

Leh DM ShrikantSuse told The Daily Guardian, “ As desired by Hon’ble LG LadakhSh R K Mathur and devised by AK Sahu, Secretary PHE department Ladakh, PaaniMaah is being celebrated across Ladakh from 1st Aug. The aim is an extensive IEC campaign to raise awareness about the objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) besides ensuring the involvement of the community in planning, implementation, and Operation and maintenance of rural water supply schemes.”

“There is massive sanitation drive which is run by Village level Water and Sanitation Committees. The committees are doing Sample collection at all water sources and identified delivery points and samples are sent in labs. The Administration is Organizing Panisabhas. So far LehNaala, Likir, and Nubra are cleaned and water resources are tested at Stok, Matho, Turtuk, Khalsar, Khardungarea,” he added.