Tankers to the rescue as water supply complaints in Prayagraj surge amid rising mercury
As per general manager of Jalkal department, the problem of water supply shortage in the city’s 80 nagar nigam wards is being attended by a fleet of 95 water tankers which are always kept ready.
With the mercury rising, the control room set up in the Jalkal department premises is receiving an average of 10 to 40 complaints about shortage of water supply from various parts of the city on a daily basis, most of them due to prolonged power outages.
According to Kumar Gaurav, general manager of Jalkal, Prayagraj, the control room (helpline number 9415125023) set up in view of soaring temperatures is functional round the clock and once a complaint is received, it is forwarded, along with the contact number of the complainant, to the executive engineer and junior engineer of the respective zone.
“The officials receiving the complaint are required to address it within 60 minutes. Once the water supply is restored or water tankers reach the affected area, the complaint is marked as ‘attended’ in department records,” he said.
As per the general manager, the problem of water supply shortage in the city’s 80 nagar nigam wards is being attended by a fleet of 95 water tankers which are always kept ready.
He pointed out that as per prescribed standards, the daily average water requirement per person is around 150 litres, which is being provided in city limits.
“At present, the department is supplying 400 million litres per day (MLD) of drinking water against a demand of 370 MLD. A total of 664 mini and large tubewells are operational in the city, catering to 2.10 lakh water tap connections,” he said.
Of the total daily supply, 80 to 90 MLD is drawn from the Yamuna. To ensure the water is safe for consumption, it undergoes treatment, including chlorination, at water treatment plants.
In response to drinking water issues in the district’s rural areas, district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar has also set up a control room, currently operating from Vikas Bhawan. Complaints made at 8081090352 or 0532-2548400 are attended by control room incharge Vishwa Ranjan.
According to the district magistrate, residents experiencing water supply disruptions in rural areas can register complaints with the control room, which will be forwarded to the relevant officials for prompt redressal.
