UP: No Ganga water supply for a month from October 15

GHAZIABAD: Owing to the annual de-siltation process of Ganga canal, Ganga jal water supply in Ghaziabad and Noida will remain suspended for a month from October 15.
Nearly 20 lakh people in the two cities will be affected due to the closure of the Pratap Vihar Ganga Jal plant.
However, the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA) have assured residents that there will be no shortage of water supply.
An official of the Pratap Vihar Ganga Jal plant said, “From October 15, Ganga jal water supply will remain suspended due to annual de-siltation exercise of the upper Ganga canal. We will manage for a couple of days as we have some reserved water but after that we will not be able to supply Ganga jal for a month.”
Meanwhile, residents of Vasundhara, Vaishali, Kaushambi, Indirapuram and delta colonies which are largely dependent on Ganga jal for their daily use are a worried lot. “Even though this is an annual affair, this year, it will start during Navratri and will continue till Diwali. That is a time, when we will need water the most. How will we cope then i wonder?” said Alok Mishra, a resident of the area.
Rajiv Ranjan, another resident, said, “Every year agencies promise that there will be no dearth of water but the fact is that we do face problems. We end up buying packaged water for our potable needs.” Ghaziabad has a demand of about 21 cusec of water daily.
However, GDA officials have claimed that they have readied 17 tube wells from which water will be supplied to all the affected areas. “Even though we have a plan in place, it is advised that residents use water judiciously,” said a GDA official.
Ganga water is channeled through a 185 Km Upper Ganga canal from Haridwar to Dasna in Ghaziabad. From there through a 19-km pipeline it is brought to Pratap Vihar Ganga Jal plant where it is processed and 360 million litres per day is supplied to parts of Ghaziabad and Noida.