In Anantnag’s quiet lanes, the arrival of water bills after five long years has left families reeling. What was once a predictable monthly duty turned into a rude awakening as old arrears landed at doorsteps, some even chasing people who moved away years ago. In the Kashmir Valley, paying for water is accepted, but not when demands arrive like forgotten debts from another era, laden with penalties that inflate the original amount.
The Jal Shakti Department’s drive to recover dues aims to fund repairs and counter drying springs, especially after sharp warnings about precipitation shortfalls. Yet the timing and approach feel unfair. Households plan around steady expenses; a sudden multi-year lump sum disrupts budgets in a place where winters stretch incomes thin and jobs remain uncertain. Reports show residents protesting inflated charges, sometimes even higher than electricity bills, amid ongoing water supply woes.
Worse, the system’s double standards stand out sharply. Government departments themselves owe nearly Rs 15 crore in unpaid water dues to Jal Shakti, with School Education leading at Rs 2.23 crore, Estates at Rs 1.87 crore, and Health at Rs 1.86 crore. While common people face disconnection threats, official offices accumulate arrears without similar urgency. In Jammu, authorities withhold salaries from defaulters until NOCs arrive from Jal Shakti—yet this strictness rarely applies valley-wide to their own ranks.
This mess highlights chronic issues: outdated annual billing burdens users, faulty records allow errors to compound, and infrastructure upgrades under schemes like AMRUT lag despite allocated funds. Smart meters, rolled out in phases, could track usage accurately and prevent such buildups, but in many Anantnag areas, delivery remains patchy.
Residents aren’t refusing to pay; they expect fairness. The department should waive unjust penalties on stale dues, offer clear breakdowns, and provide affordable installment plans. Shift to monthly billing as suggested in past reviews to ease the load. Transparency would rebuild trust—start by holding departments accountable first.
In Anantnag’s surprised homes, this isn’t merely about collecting money. It’s about respecting people’s realities in a region already strained by water scarcity and administrative delays. Let bills arrive on time, like the water they promise, before frustration boils over.
