Dry spell continues across Kashmir valley, Several areas in North Kashmir faces drinking Water shortage "Authorities urge judicious use of Water amid ongoing dry spell" As a prolonged dry spell continues across the Kashmir Valley, several areas in north Kashmir, including Bandipora, and Bandipora district, are facing an acute shortage of drinking water, forcing authorities to regulate supplies and reduce water distribution shifts. One of the locals from Bandipora's Panar area said that the upper areas have been worst affected by this dry spell as the nearby water streams also dried. "The department is regularly sending us water tankers but that is not sufficient." Officials from the Jal Shakti Department said the crisis is a result of deficient rainfall and an unusually dry winter last year, which led to reduced recharge of glaciers, springs, and other perennial water sources. “All our raw water sources depend on glaciers and perennial streams. Last winter witnessed almost no snowfall, and rainfall this year has also been deficit. As a result, many spring sources have depleted,” said executive engineer Jal Shakti Department Bandipora Mutiyab Bashir. To manage the situation, the department has reduced water supply shifts to two to three hours in many areas to ensure equitable distribution. “We are regulating supplies so that water reaches everyone. The reduction in shifts is a necessity under the current circumstances,” the official added. The department has also blamed illegal boosting of water through electric motors for aggravating the crisis. “Illegal boosting deprives people at the tail end of supply lines. We have formed enforcement teams to curb this practice,” the official said, urging residents to use water judiciously, especially as winter approaches. Authorities have appealed to the public to avoid misuse and cooperate with supply regulations to prevent further scarcity during the coming months.