Labourers’ exodus sets back GMADA’s water project by two more months

Work on water treatment plant at Singhpur, which will help bring additional 5MGD supply from Kajauli waterworks, delayed again

Labourers migrating back home in anticipation of longer lockdown has yet again put off Greater Mohali Area Development Authority’s project to bring additional water supply of 5 million gallons daily (MGD) from Phases 5 and 6 of Kajauli waterworks.

The project was initially slated to finish by December 2020, but the deadline was pushed to July 31, 2021, and now again to September this year. (HT Photo)

Already delayed by 18 months due to the pandemic, the workers’ exodus is expected to set the project back by another two months.

The project was initially slated to finish by December 2020, but the deadline was pushed to July 31, 2021, and now again to September this year.

This, when Mohali is already facing a daily shortage of 10 MGD water, while the demand-supply difference shoots up to 12 MGD in peak summer. Presently, the city gets 10 MGD water from Kajauli waterworks and an equal volume from 75 tubewells.

“Around 50% of our workers have gone back to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh fearing a longer lockdown. We don’t expect them to return soon. Earlier, we had 150 labourers to complete the construction of the water treatment plant at Singhpur, but the number has come down to 70,” said Davinder Singh, chief engineer of GMADA.

The plant, which is being set up by a Vadodara-based company at a cost of ₹100 crore, was initially also delayed over whether to ready one for 5 MGD or 20 MGD supply, until GMADA decided to go for the second option..

Chandigarh, meanwhile, is already getting its share of additional 35 MGD water under Phases 5 and 6 of Kajauli waterworks, which is located on the Bhakra mainline canal near Morinda in Rupnagar district, and caters to the water requirement of Chandigarh, Mohali and Chandimandir.

MC councillor Kuljeet Singh Bedi, who had filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding the water shortage in Mohali, said, “The project for additional supply is being repeatedly delayed due to lackadaisical attitude of the officials concerned, while the public continues to suffer.”