Desilting at Basai plant leaves New Gurgaon sectors dry
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) have initiated the cleaning work of the reservoirs of Basai plant to ensure that water quality is maintained and flow increases.
There was limited water supply to several New Gurgaon localities from sectors 54 to 67 on Monday because of silt clearing work at the Basai water treatment plant. The water shortage affected the daily routine of many residents.
The Basai plant, which gets its supply from river Yamuna at Kakroi village in Sonepat, is connected through a 70-km-long water channel that needs regular inspection and maintenance.
The Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) have initiated the cleaning work of the reservoirs to ensure that water quality is maintained and flow increases.
“Because of the cleaning work, there will be irregular water supply throughout March. But, its execution is vital to ensure reservoirs are cleared and sediment content is checked to increase water flow and improve water quality,”
V Gopal, executive engineer of the MCG, said.
Of the 90 million gallons per day (MGD) water supply to the city every day, the Basai water treatment plant supplies 70 MGD. Hence, any disruption to supply from the plant affects the city.
Gopal said after every cycle of desilting, it takes more than 20 hours for the supply to reach parts of New Gurgaon. Hence, parts of sectors 54 to 57, Ardee City and Nirvana Country reported water shortage on Monday.
“There was water supply till 6.30 am and my children had just completed their bath when the supply stopped. The water pressure was too low and supply could not reach apartments located above the second floor,” Gurdeep Ahluwalia of Sector 56 said.
According to the MCG, the desilting work was to start in January when the water demand is lower compared to the summer months. However, owing to transfer of former MCG Commissioner TL Satyaprakash and the takeover by new commissioner V Umashankar, the final approval for the project got delayed till February.
Water supply has been disrupted in Gurgaon over the last few days. On Friday, the Huda decided to shut the water treatment plant at Chandu Budhera for repairing the master pipelines and leakages on sector pipelines.
The shutting down of Chandu Budhera plant, which supplies 22 MGD water daily to the Sector 51 boosting station and caters to around three lakh people, led to disruption of supply to sectors 45, 46,47, 51, 52,53, 55, 56, 57, sectors 58 to 67, and private colonies in sectors 70 and 71.