E-Paper
Mohali battles frequent breakdown in water supply; Chandigarh indifferent
In the past month, water supply was halted for 270 hours in Mohali; maintenance of supply line under UT’s charge
While Chandigarh gets ample water supply from Kajauli water works –phase 5 and 6 , its civic body had displayed a lack of consideration for Mohali residents.
With erratic water supply, Mohali residents are a harried lot as the Kajauli WW–phase 3 faces regular breakdowns and is always under repair. The maintenance of this water supply line is under the charge of Chandigarh municipal corporation.
The latest breakdown occurred on Friday and Saturday, February 1. As per records, in the past one month, this water supply line has broken down and water supply halted for 270 hours in Mohali, an average of 9 hours per day.
The Kajauli WW, via 6 phases, supplies water to Chandigarh, Mohali and Chandimandir. Chandigarh get water from phases 3, 4, 5 and 6, while Mohali receives water from phases 3 and 4, of which phase 3 is to be maintained by Chandigarh MC. As much as 2.5 million gallon daily (MGD) water is supplied from Kajauli WW–phase 3 to Mohali Phase 9, 10, 11 and the water treatment plant in Sector 57.
An officer of Mohali water supply department said that even as Mohali had intermittent water supply in the past three months but regular shutdowns from Chandigarh have been the norm in the past too.
Jaspreet Talwar, secretary, department of water supply and sanitation, Punjab said she had already taken up the matter with MC commissioner Chandigarh. “He said he was not aware of the issue but assured me he would look into it. It is a serious issue and Mohali residents are suffering due the shut downs.”
When contacted, Shailender Singh, chief engineer of MC Chandigarh said, the issue had already been taken up with officials concerned and instructions have been passed to ensure there are no more shutdowns. “There were minor hiccups, but the matter has been sorted out and residents will not suffer more,” he added.
Officials said that water supply and public health department too had written a strongly-worded letter to Chandigarh MC on the issue.
Currently, Mohali falls short of 10 MGD water, as it receives 10 MGD water from Kajauli WW and 10 MGD from 75 tubewells. Surprisingly, Mohali has no water storage facility, and in case of a shutdown it was difficult to maintain uninterrupted water supply.
Kajauli waterworks (WW)
The Kajauli WW is located on the Bhakra mainline canal near Morinda in Ropar district from where water requirement of Chandigarh, Mohali and Chandimandir are met.
With Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) already constructing water treatment and augmentation plant in Singpura village in Mohali, to get additional water supply of 5 MGD from Kajauli WW phase 5 and 6, residents can expect additional water by December this year.
