The Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) has aimed to construct 10 underground water storage tanks (UGTs) across the city to streamline water distribution system for villages and areas falling in the old municipal limits.
The UGTs will be constructed in two phases for which construction work at four different sites is under way. The GMDA has asked the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) to construct the UGTs. The onus is on the GMDA to boost water supply in all areas except those developed by private builders. These include 34 Huda (Haryana urban development authority) sectors, 35 villages and over 45 old municipal areas. The mantle of ensuring water supply to the city passed from the Huda and the MCG to the new authority.
The city faces an acute crunch in water supply during peak summer months and the residents have set their hopes on the GMDA to put an end to their seasonal toil.
A junior engineer in the MCG, who is familiar with the city’s water supply system, said, “Villages and old municipal areas get their water supply from canals and bore wells. The water mafia, which is active in the city, indulge in illegal extraction of water from bore wells and canals in summer and sell it to residents. Once all the UGTs are ready to go into operation, the MCG will seal all 50 bore wells in the city and dismantle boosters, which are often a tool for pilferage.”
{{/usCountry}}A junior engineer in the MCG, who is familiar with the city’s water supply system, said, “Villages and old municipal areas get their water supply from canals and bore wells. The water mafia, which is active in the city, indulge in illegal extraction of water from bore wells and canals in summer and sell it to residents. Once all the UGTs are ready to go into operation, the MCG will seal all 50 bore wells in the city and dismantle boosters, which are often a tool for pilferage.”
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“Water from UGTs will be supplied to villages and colonies in a controlled manner,” the official said, adding that the move would save 10-12 MGD (million gallons daily) of water which would be used to tide over the water supply crisis in summer.
According to the GMDA, the city needs nearly 100 MGD of water in peak summer and the supply crisis every year is caused because of unchecked pilferage and frequent pipeline leakages and ruptures.
“We will seal nearly 45 bore wells once the UGTs start functioning. This will help us save groundwater by a significant extent. The UGTs would help us ensure controlled supply of water. In first phase, we are planning to construct five UGTs and the work on four of them are already under way at Beriwala Bagh, Anaj Mandi near Shivaji Park, Gaushala Ground near Mahavir Chowk and the Sector 7 extension,” Vikas Malik, executive engineer, MCG, said.
“Faults in the water distribution system, such as water leakage, theft or pilferage and illegal extraction of groundwater, will be checked to a significant extent once the UGTs become functional,” Malik said.
Hindustan Times has carried a series of ground reports highlighting the acute water crisis in the city in peak summer.
“The Huda has failed to improve water supply to the city in summer. Now, the GMDA has taken over the job from Huda and we hope the perennial water crisis will be a thing of the past soon. Every summer, we have to hire private tankers to meet our daily requirement. These tanker operators extract groundwater illegally from bore wells and canals and sell it to us at expensive rates,” SS Rai, a resident of Sushant Lok resident said, adding that city needs of 150 MGD of water in summer.
The GMDA said it is in a position to supply 104 MGD of water from two treatment plants at Basai and Chandu Budhera respectively.
V Umashankar, chief executive officer (CEO), GMDA, said, “The GMDA recently facilitated the supply of 22 MCD of water from the second unit of the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant. We are currently supplying 80-82 MGD of water, and we hope to increase it to 100 MGD this summer. It would be enough to meet the city’s need. Our aim is to crack down on the water mafia and streamline the city’s water distribution system.”
Box:
-UGTs under constructions at Beriwala Bagh near Mini Secretariat, Sector 7 Extension, Anaj Mandi at Shivaji Park, Gaushala Ground near Mahavir Chowk and Sector 5
-GMDA supplies 82 MGD canal water from Basai and Chandu Budhera plants
-22 MGD additional water supply to start by end of February from Chandu Budhera plant
-104 MGD canal water GMDA will supply from next month
-City actual requires 150 MGD, a deficit of 50 MGD still remains
-City would need 250 mgd water will be required by 2021 to feed expected 45 lakh population
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