The Indian Express 23.09.2013
MC to take up expenditure estimate of 19 tubewells today
With an aim to make up for water shortage in the city expected next year, the Municipal Corporation will be installing 19 tubewells in different parts of the city. Amidst concerns about the impact on the water table due to this, the installation of tubewells is being considered the only solution to the impending water shortage. From next year, 9 million gallons water daily (mgd) from the share Chandigarh uses would be diverted to Panchkula and Chandimandir.
The proposal is to install a total of 45 tubewells. In the first phase, expenditure estimate of installing 19 tubewells is coming up for approval at a meeting of the General House scheduled for Monday.
Chandigarh receives a total of 87 mgd water of which 67 mgd is from Kajauli Water Works and the rest is from tubewells. As per the 1983 agreement, share of water was also supposed to be given to Panchkula and Chandimandir. However, the pipelines were not laid. Due to this, the share of water was being used by Chandigarh for all these years. The work for laying pipelines is now at the fag end. It is expected that from next year, the city would be short of 9 mgd water. The peak summer demand in Chandigarh is already between 113 and 117 mgd.
In this situation, installation of tubewells is being touted as the only solution to the problem. Officials expect that once the 45 tuebwells are in place, the shortage would be met. The tubewells are being installed at places where permission from the architecture department is not required. These include the water works of the MC and public health store.
However, the falling water table in the city is a cause for concern. Studies indicate that the decline is from 2.5 metre per year in the northern sectors to around 1.5 metre in the southern sectors. There are already around 220 tubewells in the city. Of these, 170-180 are functional and 10 per cent become defunct every year.
Officials say that there is no alternative to getting water for the city. The project for Augmentation of Water Supply Phase V and VI is hanging fire due to the tussle between Punjab and Haryana over water sharing. Even though pipelines for the next two phases are in the process of being laid, there is no clarity on the water share.
Stray cattle menace to be discussed
The issue of stray cattle menace will also be discussed at the General House meeting. Earlier this month, trucks carrying stray cattle from the city were torched in Haryana. The BJP and Akali Dal councillors had been demanding a special House meeting to discuss the issue. The councillors state that a policy to catch and release stray cattle needs to be framed as adhoc measures being taken have led to the problem.
