Water crisis deepens in Jodhpur amid severe heat.

Jodhpur, Amid severe heat in Rajasthan, the Jodhpur district is facing a water crisis, and officials say this situation has arisen due to a delay in releasing water from the Harike Barrage in Punjab into the Indira Gandhi Canal after its annual closure for maintenance work.

The chief engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) said that according to the Punjab government’s notification, the canal was to remain closed until May 10, with water release from the Harike Barrage scheduled from May 11. He stated, “However, due to delays in completing repairs and technical work in the Punjab area, the release of sufficient water was delayed.”

He said that from May 14, water was released from the Harike Barrage into the canal in a phased manner. The department expects this water to reach Jodhpur’s Kaylana Lake and Takht Sagar reservoirs, the city’s main water sources, by the night of May 20 or the morning of May 21. He said that currently, both reservoirs have just enough water left to meet the city’s needs until the canal water arrives.

Water crisis deepens in Jodhpur, claim of only two days of water left

The superintendent engineer (city) of PHED said that even after the water reaches the reservoirs, it will take about two weeks to fill them to normal levels. He said, “Only after that can the city’s water supply return to normal. Given this situation, a plan is being made to suspend water supply for one day on May 21, to ensure sufficient supply the following day.”

Former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also raised the issue of the water crisis, stating that the drinking water situation in Jodhpur is becoming increasingly worrying. He said, “There is immense hardship across the entire city, and conditions are nearly like a water emergency. Reports indicate that only two days of water remain in Kaylana and Takht Sagar. A city with a population of about 20 lakh is on the brink of a severe water crisis, while the government remains silent.”

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Gehlot also questioned the PHED’s preparedness. He said, “Doesn’t this reflect a lack of advance preparation? Wasn’t a solid water management plan formulated? Now that the water crisis is upon us, who will take responsibility?”