Gomti can't meet its demands

In Lucknow the water level in the river Gomti recedes during summer, affecting the capacity at the raw water pumping stations.The UP Jal Nigam officials asked for release of 100 cusecs water in the river from the Sharda Canal, which was refused by the irrigation department.

Like anywhere else in the country, water problem in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is a major problem, particularly in the summer months. The fact that all its rivers are snow-fed hardly makes life any better.

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Early in the May, reports said areas such as Mukarim Nagar, Gola Ganj, Nehru Nagar and Victoria Street in Lucknow were badly hit. The story was much the same in the posh areas like Gomti Nagar, Aliganj and Indira Nagar.

The Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam is the authority responsible for water supply in the state. In Lucknow the Jal Sansthan supplies 440 million litres per day (mld) water, whereas the daily demand is 560 mld. Jal Sansthan officials said that during the summer season the water supply in the city falls by 20 per cent. On the other hand there is a three-time increase in the consumption of water.

Technical faults and power rostering by the electricity department add to their problems, an official said. The normal functioning of tube wells is affected and several localities go without the routine water supply, the official added.

The massive network and investment made by the Jal Sansthan had failed to improve the water supply in the city. Talking to Hindustan Times, Lucknow Jal Sansthan General Manager, Rashid Khan said the ground water level in the city is low and during summer the ground water table falls further. The fall thus has an adverse impact on the water discharge capacity of tube wells. The 360 tube wells discharge a mere 175 mld of water.