Summer rush: Tricity left high & dry

MOHALI: The rising temperatures adversely affect the drinking water demand which goes up by six to eight million gallons per day (MGD). This also decreases the water pressure and the people living on the first and second floors feel the heat as low pressure leaves them high and dry.
According to Anil Kumar, executive engineer (Xen), public health department, Mohali draws three to four MGD water from 33 tubewells and five MGD of river water from two water plants, each making it 10 MGD. The total water supplied by public health to Phase 1to 11, Shahi Majra and Mataur villages is 14 to 15 MGD, he said.
He said, “There is no shortage of portable water supply as all parameters are being met but water wastage put us on back foot. During the peak summers season, the demand increases by six to eight MGD but we along with Gmada and the MC make an effort to meet up with the rising demand. This time also we will make six more tube-well functional within this month so that by the next month the increased demand of three to four MGD can be met.”
On the other hand, Gmada supplies three to four MGD of portable water drawn from 53 tubewells to Sectors 66 to 69 and 76 to 80. Gmada executive engineer (Xen) Devinder Singh said, “We supply 2.5 MGD of water drawn from 25 tubewells to Sectors 66 to 69, another 1.5 MGD drawn from 26 tubewells to Sectors 76 to 80 and 0.03 MGD drawn from three more tubewells making it a total of 4 to 5 MGD. At present, there is no shortage of portable water but with rising temperature it may increase by next month.”
Kamal Kishore, resident of Phase 3B1 said, “We live on the second floor in Marla houses and every summer we face the problem of water pressure. People living on the ground floor have underground water storage tanks. We generally are deprived of drinking water.”
Delay in Kajauli water works add up to woes
The slow pace in setting up of water treatment plant in Jandpur village in Mohali is the main cause of delay in getting the share from Kajauli Water works. The project of laying the 23.5-kmlong Phase V and VI pipeline from Kajauli waterworks to Jandpur village was launched in March 2012. The deadline for completion of the project was August, 2014.