Low pressure water supply irks Panchkula people

Rajinder Nagarkoti

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, March 12

While officials of the Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) are making tall claims of adequate water supply, Panchkula residents have already started facing low pressure water supply.

Not only those residing on top floors, but also residents on the ground floor are complaining of low pressure water supply.

Though Panchkula is also getting water from the Kaushalya reservoir, low pressure is a major concern in the city.

Sameer Sethi, a resident of Sector 16, said there is problem of low water pressure even on the ground floor. If this is the situation in March, then only god can imagine water crisis in Panchkula in June.

Echoing similar views, SK Nayar, a resident of Sector 15 and chairman of the Citizens Welfare Association, Panchkula, said they regularly complain to HUDA about low pressure water supply in their sector, but to no avail. The problem is worst in villages and colonies.

Power cuts to blame for shortage

A senior official of HUDA said the Electricity Department is carrying out repair work of lines these days, which resulted in long-duration power cuts. In the absence of power supply, water supply also gets badly affected. There is no shortage of water supply.

HUDA had written to Chandigarh MC

Like last year, HUDA has again written to officials of the Engineering Wing, Chandigarh MC, raising concern over not getting full share of water supply. While Panchkula is entitled to 6 million gallons per day (MGD), it is only getting 4.5 MGD, leaving a shortage of 1.5 MGD.

Increase in demand behind the scarcity

• Increase in demand and failure to increase the supply proportionately are the main reasons behind water scarcity in Panchkula. According to experts, in the past few years, the demand in Panchkula has increased 5-6 MGD, but the supply has not been increased proportionately.
• Even those residing on ground floor are not getting full pressure supply.