Gurgaon: Work on new water tank holds promise for DLF Phase-1 residents battling supply shortfall
The tank, being built near Summer Fields School, will be able to hold 9 lakh litres of water. The project gives hope to residents, who have been battling acute water scarcity, especially during the sweltering summer days.
There could be some relief in store for residents of blocks D and E in DLF Phase-1, who have been grappling with water shortage for long. The construction of an underground water tank started on Friday.
The tank, being built near Summer Fields School, will be able to hold 9 lakh litres of water. The project gives hope to residents, who have been battling with water scarcity, especially in summer. The tank, being constructed by DLF, will cater to the needs of around 800 residents in blocks D and E of DLF Phase -1.
The tank will take four months to be functional. Residents said they hope it will hold enough water to be able to meet their day-to-day requirements. Though the area has two water tanks, with a combined capacity of 31 lakh litres, both are located in block B.
“While blocks D and E get water from Huda’s (Haryana urban development authority) main line, residents of blocks A, B, C and F rely on the tank in block B to meet their needs. The new tank, once set up, will take the load off the Huda and the block B tank,” Sunil Goswami, of DLF phase1, Block E, said.
Anupam Sharma, another resident said, “We have been raising this issue (water scarcity) for the last five years. There are days during peak summer when we don’t get water for days. We have been living a nightmare and had to depend on private tankers to meet our needs.”
Rama Rani Rathee, municipal councillor of ward No. 34, said, “This tank will provide enough water for residents during the summer. The tank is being built by DLF at a cost of around ₹1.5 crore.”
A report released by the Directorate of Town and Country Planning (DTCP) last year in June said Gurgaon will have a population of 69 lakh by 2031, up from the projected 43 lakh, once the proposed Transit Oriented Development policy comes into effect. Currently, the city’s demand for water is 51% higher than supply, according to a Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation report released in May, 2016.
The numbers paint a grim picture and experts stressed on the need to conserve groundwater and for the government to explore alternative sources to arrest the supply shortfall.