Water supply bias in Mohali

Akash Ghai

Tribune News Service

Mohali, February 24

Certain parts of Mohali would soon get 24X7 supply of drinking water. This despite the fact that the town has been witnessing a huge gap of around 18 MGD (million gallons a day) in demand and supply of potable water.

As per GMADA officials, while the facility has been provided to Aero City and IT City, it would be extended to other areas under the authority, including Eco City in New Chandigarh, soon. “For the purpose, new tubewells would be installed,” said Sunil Kansal, Chief Engineer, GMADA.

Presently, against the demand of more than 35 MGD of water, Mohali is getting nearly 17 MGD.

The main source of water supply in Mohali is the Kajauli water works, from where 10 MGD of water is supplied to the town. Besides, GMADA and the local MC run about 105 tubewells.

Mohali is divided into two parts when it comes to water supply. The first part, known as ‘Old Mohali’, gets supply from Kajauli. New areas — from Sector 66 to 69, 76 to 80, Aero City and IT City — are being fed by GMADA.

GMADA has been running around 70 tubewells to get around 4.8 MGD of water while MC’s 35 tubewells are pumping out around 2.5 MGD of water.

Surprisingly, both parts of the town witness substantial difference in water tariff. In old town, water is supplied on flat rate of Rs 1.8 per kl whereas in the areas under GMADA, domestic tariff is Rs 10 per kl for consumption above 20 kl. For consumption below, Rs 5 per kl is being charged in new sectors, much to the frustration of residents of the areas under GMADA.

Water from Ph V, VI pipeline won’t satiate town

• Though GMADA authorities claim that with the start of additional supply of water through 80MGD-capacity Phase V-VI pipeline, of which work is under progress, the water needs of the town would be largely satiated, the fact is that the town would get just 5 MGD of water from the pipeline first. 
• The GMADA authorities admitted that even after the start of the new pipeline, only 40 MGD of water would be supplied first. Under the water-sharing pact with Chandigarh and Haryana, Mohali would get only 5 MGD of water, which means that the gap between the demand and supply would still remain, at nearly 13 MGD. 
• So far, a total of 10 MGD of water comes to Mohali from Phase I, II, III, IV pipelines (2.5 MGD each) of the Kajauli water works.