Deptt of Jal Shakti clarifies on safety of drinking water in J&K

Reassures general public, stakeholders regarding water supplied across the Union Territory is safe for consumption

SRINAGAR, MAY 17: In reference to the news item published in a local Urdu daily dated 15th May, 2025 regarding the safety of drinking water in Jammu & Kashmir, the Department of Jal Shakti, J&K, today clarified and reassured the general public and all stakeholders that the water supplied across the Union Territory is safe for consumption and is regularly monitored under a robust and transparent mechanism.

As per an official communiqué issued here, it has been given out that a comprehensive water quality monitoring and surveillance system has been established in J&K, comprising a network of 02 Union Territory-level and 20 District-level NABL-accredited labs besides 76 Sub-Divisional level testing facilities.

“During the financial year 2024–25, a total of 2.66 lakh water quality tests were conducted covering 6,122 villages in J&K. Out of these, only 78 samples- a mere 0.03% were found to be contaminated, primarily due to turbidity, which is a temporary and seasonal phenomenon usually occurring during heavy rains,” read the statement.

The official communication further mentioned that immediate remedial measures were taken in 76 of these cases, resulting in a 98% rate of corrective action, which stands significantly higher than the national average of 62%. Moreover, the contamination rate of 0.03% in J&K is notably lower than the national contamination average of 4.1%, showcasing UT’s better performance in ensuring water safety.

It is also pertinent to mention that during the ongoing financial year 2025–26, around 25,000 samples have already been tested so far and not a single case of contamination has been reported. These figures reflect the seriousness with which the Department treats water safety and the effectiveness of its monitoring and response systems.

The Department of Jal Shakti remains fully committed to providing safe and clean drinking water to every household in Jammu & Kashmir, and any sporadic issues—such as those arising due to turbidity—are swiftly addressed through a well-established protocol. The Department assures that the water supply in the UT is safe, routinely tested, and among the best performing in the country in terms of quality assurance and responsiveness.