E-Paper
8-year-old canal-based water supply project remains forgotten
The Patiala Municipal Corporation’s dream project of canal-based water supply system proposed in 2006 to ensure round-the-clock supply seems to have been buried under piles of official documents.
The Patiala Municipal Corporation’s dream project of canal-based water supply system proposed in 2006 to ensure round-the-clock supply seems to have been buried under piles of official documents.
The Rs 175 crore project as per which two canal-based water projects would be set up at a 30-acre land at Jassowal village, is still at the stage of tentative proposals. This project was expected to ease the troubles of the region’s residents suffering from water shortage for over three decades now. It had been stalled due to poor strategy and planning on the civic body’s part.
The project was proposed under the then mayor Vishnu Sharma of the Congress after approval from former chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh. Ever since, a series of studies have been conducted to determine its feasibility, but the project is yet to witness any concrete progress. At present, there are 135 tubewells providing water supply in the city. But, only 125 tubewells function while the rest have been rendered useless due to wear and tear. Though, 10 new tubewells were installed over the past two years, it failed to meet the city’s demand.The resident’s water woes continued to turn grim, especially in summers. The pipes in the city are old and fail to pump enough water to fill overhead reserves leading to a water crisis. Currently, residents get water thrice a day— 5am to 10am, 12noon-2pm and 5pm-10pm.
PROJECT BENEFITS
The canal system would procure water from the Bhakra main line canal passing through the peripheries of the city, instead drawing it from under the ground as in the tubewell system. With the installation of this project, Patiala would be able to utilize its mandatory share of 35 cusecs of water, which now goes to Haryana because of lack of facility to utilise it. Groundwater depletion will also be controlled in this project TOMORROW: SHIFTING OF DAIRY PROJECT
