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.