Citizens urge action for clean water, rainwater harvesting

A day ahead of World Water Day (March 22), vigilant citizens have demanded sincere efforts to provide clean drinking water and measures to utilise rainwater to recharge the falling water table.

Fast-paced urbanisation has thrown a challenge before the civic authorities to provide clean drinking water to the residents.

Currently, Amritsar is dependent on groundwater sourced from some 550-600 tubewells, servicing through 1,800 km network, and delivering to around 2 lakh household connections. The supply is provided for 8-10 hours daily intermittently.

However, with the rise in population backed by migrant influx, tubewells have run dry at several places, prompting the authorities to look for alternative ways to provide drinking water.

Expanding at its seams, the holy city is facing several challenges in urban services delivery like any other growing city in India which needs investments to put in place appropriate assets to meet them. Its solution was found in the Bulk Water Treatment Plant (BWTP), sourced from surface water supply from Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), which passes along the city’s bypass and would in turn get water from the rivers.

However, long delay in the execution of the projects irks people. Farmer leader Dr Satnam Singh said due to excessive use of groundwater, the water level in Amritsar is rapidly declining and between 1984 and 2016, it has depleted by 10 to 15 meters. He said contamination of groundwater was another issue. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to shift from groundwater to surface water supply on a pan city basis to stop further depletion of groundwater level.

The BWTP envisages meeting the water demand for 30 years which would benefit the residents of Amritsar with an estimated population of 14.51 lakh by 2025 and 22.11 lakh by 2055.

Experts have already warned that the water supply system, as it exists, is not adequate to serve the entire population and is entirely dependent on groundwater sources, which is both environmentally detrimental and faces quality related issues.

According to experts, of the 100 per cent rainfall, only six per cent is saved. Rainwater harvesting is an effective and valuable solution to tackle water scarcity and also to replenish the groundwater level.

Though the installation of rainwater harvesting system and recharge wells has been made mandatory by the Municipal Corporation, residents have not been following the guidelines.

Following the building bylaws, the MC collects Rs 25,000 as security fee from every building owner before the commencement of construction. As per the rule, a building owner should install the rainwater harvesting system and recharge well and then get back his security money. However, a common practice among residents is that they submit the security fee but do not install the rainwater harvesting system. Given the rapidly depleting water table in many regions of the state, it is crucial for households and commercial establishments to adopt water conservation techniques.

The United Nations (UN) has already warned India about the rapidly depleting water table due to deforestation and intense urbanisation.