Surat:
Navsari town is facing a water crisis for the first time in 50 years. Nearly three lakh people are getting water supply in limited quantity from Tuesday. An individual who used to get 135 LPCD water on a daily basis, will get only half of it from the local body. Situation will become acute if the town does not get water supply early from Kakrapar canal.
Tribhovan Chavda, chairman of water works committee of Navsari nagarpalika, said, “We have water left for just 10 more days. This is why we have decided to cut water supply by half.”
Raju Gupta, water works engineer of Navsari nagarpalika, said, “We generally get our lakes filled by Kakrapar left hand canal once a month. With combined capacity of 11 lakh cubic metres of water, it is enough for a month until the next rotation arrives.”
This year with Ukai dam just 47 per cent filled at 317 feet, water rotation cycles are likely to be lengthened. Ukai dam authorities are likely to supply water only once in 50 days and not in a month.
Navsari is likely to get next supply of water of its quota from Ukai dam by October 20.
Gupta said, “We have nearly 12 borewells. We have opened 10 of them to mix their water with Kakrapar canal’s and supply to people after treatment.” However, borewell water’s quantity will be around 5 million litres per day (MLD) only and also saline.
Navsari nagarpalika president Kanti Patel said, “These borewells will save us for sometime. We will treat the borewell water and make it potable. We are facing such a crisis for the first time in 50 years.”
It is likely that a citizen of Navsari may get half of daily water supply of 135 litres per capita per day (LPCD) during Navratri festival. If the town gets water from Kakrapar canal early then people will be supplied water twice a day until Diwali.