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Chandigarh MC plans to discontinue afternoon water supply
Will instead increase morning and evening supply by an hour; the move will help it save ₹14 crore annually
The Chandigarh municipal corporation is planning to shut down the afternoon drinking water supply in the city. It expects to save more than ₹14 crore annually through this move.
Currently, the MC supplies water in the city for 11 hours: five in the morning, two in the afternoon and four in the evening. According to the plan, supply will continue for 11 hours by increasing the duration by an hour each in the morning and evening.
MC commissioner KK Yadav, who has initiated the proposal, said: “The demand for afternoon supply is not very high. We are spending around ₹14 crore on it. For the MC, it is much less expensive to increase the morning and evening supply by an hour each.”
The civic body contends that after the morning supply, there is a break in supply till afternoon, which empties water pipes. To restart the supply and create water pressure, additional power input is needed. “Ultimately, electric pumps and other machinery have to be continuously used. Also, given their numbers, it is very difficult for MC workers to continuously work on it,” said Yadav.
The MC is running a heavy deficit in the drinking water supply as the tariff remained stagnant between 2011 and 2020. In 2019-2020, it spent ₹215 crore on water supply, and earned only ₹87 crore.
With the September 2020 water tariff hike, it expects to add ₹60 crore in receipts from the supply. However, it will have to forego it if the UT administration approves the General House’s latest resolution to go back to the old rates till the pandemic ends.
“The proposal to discontinue afternoon supply will decrease the financial burden on the MC, which will ultimately make water supply cheaper for the residents,” said Yadav.
After the proposal was brought before the MC General House on March 9, it was referred to the water supply and sewerage disposal committee.
Councillor and committee member Shakti Prakash Devshali said: “A final decision will be taken after considering views of all resident welfare associations and the general public.”
Hitesh Puri, chairman, Chandigarh Resident Association Welfare Federation, said: “Residents don’t mind if the afternoon supply is discontinued as long as the supply is increased in the morning and evening, and the MC rolls back the water tariff hike.”
