E-Paper
Chandigarh: House rejects MC’s proposal to scrap 24×7 pan-city water project
The project, once touted as a major urban infrastructure milestone, had hit roadblocks after the pilot project in Manimajra—launched in 2024 as a model for the pan-city initiative—ran into technical and operational hurdles.
The Chandigarh Municipal Corporation’s (MC) last-minute proposal to scrap the ambitious 24×7 pan-Chandigarh water supply project was rejected by councillors during the general House meeting on Tuesday.
The project, once touted as a major urban infrastructure milestone, had hit roadblocks after the pilot project in Manimajra—launched in 2024 as a model for the pan-city initiative—ran into technical and operational hurdles. Initially, the proposal to shelve the project was scheduled to be tabled in the August 26 House meeting, but the BJP-led MC had decided to delay the proposal citing ‘political reasons’.
However, on Tuesday, the agenda surfaced unexpectedly, tabled at the eleventh hour without prior circulation of printed copies to councillors. The sudden move caught even BJP councillors off guard, prompting sharp objections to mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla’s decision. Several councillors accused the mayor of “deliberately tabling the agenda at the last minute to avoid a detailed discussion,” and demanded that a comprehensive proposal along with the project’s status report be brought in the next House meeting.
Amid the heated exchanges, municipal commissioner Amit Kumar urged councillors to take a decision on the proposal. Unanimously, the councillors, cutting across party lines, voted to reject the move to scrap the project.
The rejection now paves the way for the MC commissioner to directly write to UT administration to take final call on the proposal. As per MC officials, the Chandigarh administration can only push for the proposal to scrap the project but the final decision will be taken by the Centre as the project also holds diplomatic significance between the two countries.
Local political leaders, irrespective of party lines, share the same opinion that the financial burden should not be shifted onto the city residents. “High-command will have to intervene as the project was approved in BJP’s rule,” said a party insider.
Project was to come up at a cost of ₹510 cr
The UT administration had first signed an MoU with Agence Française de Developpement (AFD) in 2016. The detailed project report (DPR) for the citywide 24×7 water supply scheme was approved by the MC House in December 2019.
As per the plan, Chandigarh Smart City Limited was to execute a pilot in Manimajra, shifting from intermittent supply to continuous round-the-clock supply at a cost of ₹165 crore. However, even after its inauguration by Union minister Amit Shah in August 2024, the pilot failed to deliver the results.
“No zone in Manimajra has received uninterrupted high-pressure water supply so far. On the contrary, residents complain of foul-smelling and dirty water, along with malfunctioning water meters,” said MC’s official report.
Despite the setbacks, the MC was expected to roll out the pan-city project with a financial outlay of ₹510 crore, of which ₹412 crore was to come as a loan from AFD, repayable over 15 years. However, officials now warn that the scheme has become financially unviable. “The ₹412 crore loan was calculated on 2022 costs, but inflation and rising operational expenses are expected to nearly double the outlay by the time work begins. Repayment of the loan would require water tariffs to be nearly doubled. The DPR also failed to account for crucial costs, which will run into hundreds of crores if underground pipelines are replaced across the city,” said a senior official.
