Chronicle Reporter, Bhopal, To deal with the water crisis arising out of dipping level of Upper Lake, the BMC had initially planned to supply water on alternate days but now the civic body is working on a strategy to continue with the daily water supply.

Officials of the water works branch said more water will be supplied from Kolar and Narmada and thus Upper Lake’s water will be conserved. Currently 30 MGD (million gallon per day) water is being supplied from the lake and this would come down to 18 MGD.

BMC engineers said the old pipeline from Board Office Square to slaughter house at Maida Mill Road has already been changed. Similarly old pipeline from Depot Chauraha to Polytechnic Square has been changed. The BMC is saving 2 MGD water daily only by changing pipelines. BMC plans to supply water through network of new pipelines to save more water.

Daily 4 MGD water is supplied to the plant at Birla Mandir from Upper Lake. It is planned to cut it down to 2 MGD and offset this from Narmada.The 4.5 MGD plant at Shyamala Hills will be closed. Water in the area will be supplied from Kolar. Only 0.5 MGD water will be taken from the lake.Capacity of Badal Mahal plant is 1 MGD. Here too Kolar water will be supplied, instead of from Upper Lake.

BMC is supplying 6 MGD water to BHEL from Upper Lake. Soon it will be cut down to 5 MGD.Two MGD water is being supplied to Railways from Upper Lake. Reduction of half MGD can be made.Water to new tanks at Jawahar Chowk and near TT Nagar Stadium will be supplied through Kolar.

In Bal Vihar area, the old PSC pipeline will be shut down and supply will be made through new network. This will save water getting wasted due to leakage.

Daily 34 MGD water is being taken from Kolar. The capacity of Narmada Project is 40 MGD. But the BMC has at present the capacity to supply only 32 MGD water of Narmada.

A new pump house is being built at Hoshangabad Road but it will take sometime to become operational. Therefore taking water from Kolar is the only option.

The present level of Upper Lake is 1658.15 feet. BMC officials believe that there would be no problem in supplying water till June if only 18 MGD water is taken from the lake instead of current 30 MGD. The dead storage level of the Upper Lake is 1552 feet. Compared to last year, the lake level is one foot less.

The reduction in water supply from Upper Lake will be compensated from Kolar and Narmada.This will result in rationing of water in areas getting supply from these sources. It is not clear how much water will be saved by supplying through new network.