Power supply to waterworks in Malout discontinued again

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Malout, February 16

Residents of Malout town are once again in a trouble as the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited authorities again discontinued the power supply to the waterworks for non-payment of bills amounting to Rs 4 crore last evening.

This is the third time in about a month when the supply has been discontinued to build pressure on the water supply and sewerage board to clear the dues.

The underground water in most parts of the town is unfit for human consumption and in such a situation either the consumers will have to depend on the underground water or to fetch it from the private reverse osmosis (RO) water treatment plants.

Rakesh Mohan Makkar, SDO, Water Supply and Sewerage Board, said, “We had agreed to make part payment to the PSPCL authorities but when we went today to give a cheque for Rs 5 lakh, they did not accept it saying it was too less. Keeping in mind the health risk of local residents, the supply needs to be resumed immediately. We have even informed our higher-ups. The payment has to be made by one government organisation to another, thus there is no risk of loss of money.”

The PSPCL authorities had yesterday discontinued the power supply to waterworks in Gidderbaha town as well for the same reason, but resumed it within two hours when some senior officers and politicians intervened.