The Covid-19 pandemic has delayed by six months the project of Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to get additional supply of five million gallon daily (MGD) from Phases 5 and 6 of Kajauli waterworks.
However, senior officials say even after the completion of the water treatment plant, which is coming up at Mohali’s Singhpur, there is uncertainty if the city would get additional water or not owing to an interstate dispute of water between Haryana and Punjab. According to the agreement between Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh in early 80s, it was decided that in order for any state to get additional water, all states will have to give their consent. However, Haryana has now refused to give water to Mohali.
The previous project deadline was December 2020, which has now been pushed to June 2021.
Mohali is short of 10 MGD water and the demand shoots up to 12 MGD in summers. Punjab department of housing and urban development principal secretary Sarvjit Singh said there were some issues with Haryana, “but we are hopeful of resolving them and will make sure that we get the water”.
Another official of GMADA said the delay was due to shortage of specialised workers. “The work is going on in full swing now and we expect to complete the project by June next year,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}Another official of GMADA said the delay was due to shortage of specialised workers. “The work is going on in full swing now and we expect to complete the project by June next year,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The construction work of water treatment plant at Singhpur was already delayed as there were some issues whether to construct a plant for 5 MGD or 20 MGD supply, but GMADA has now decided to go with the latter option. The cost of the project is ₹100 crore, which will be developed by a Vadodara-based company.
Chandigarh, meanwhile, has already started getting its additional 35 MGD water under Phases 5 and 6, wherein 40 MGD pipelines were laid in October last year.
For past several years, Mohali has been reeling under acute water shortage as the gap between demand and supply in the city stretches up to 10 MGD.
MC councillor Kuljeet Singh Bedi, who had filed a case in the Punjab and Haryana High Court regarding shortage of water in Mohali, said, “It is unfortunate that public is suffering for years. It is insensitive on the part of the administration that it is in no hurry to complete the project. It will take at least one more year for Mohali to come out of water shortage.”
Delayed project
In May 2012, GMADA had started laying pipelines to supply 80 MGD water to Mohali district and Chandigarh from Kajauli waterworks at a cost of ₹200 crore of which, ₹100 crore was borne by Chandigarh.
Under the 5 and 6 phases, 40 MGD water will be supplied (35 MGD to Chandigarh and 5 MGD to Mohali). GMADA is yet to build the water treatment plant and lay pipes. Presently, Mohali gets 10 MGD water from Kajauli waterworks and 10 MGD from 75 tubewells.
About Kajauli waterworks
Kajauli waterworks is located on Bhakra mainline canal near Morinda in Rupnagar district from where water requirement of Chandigarh, Mohali and Chandimandir are met.