INFRASTRUCTURE BOTTLENECKS : Water contamination a major issue as complaints are free-flowing

Charanjit Singh Teja

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 23

The network of water supply lines spans around 1,800km in the city. Striking a similarity are the multitude of complaints the operation and maintenance wing of the Municipal Corporation (MC) receives every other day about the water contamination in various localities. It is a nagging issue the residents are facing.

According to the MC officials, the supply system in the city needs to be restructured. The water supply lines are installed alongside the sewerage lines across the city. It crosses through sewer manholes too. In case of any leakage, potable water supply gets mixed with sewer ones which leads to the contamination.

“The water contamination can be addressed by replacing all the underground water supply pipes with over ground supply lines. The water is getting contaminated in sewer manholes,” says an MC offical.

To further complicate the matters, a research based on the findings of the Punjab Water Supply and Sanitation Department reveals that even the groundwater here is vitiated. The report, which had collected samples from more than 500 habitations in the region, shows how 504 habitations (where source of groundwater is through tubewells) in Amritsar have high arsenic content. “There are high levels of heavy metals in groundwater. It has reached alarming proportions. Almost whole of the Majha region has high arsenic contamination,” says physicist Hardev Singh Virk, the face behind the research.

Meanwhile, the MC has been spending a huge amount of money on installing tube wells to meet the requirement of the public — the corporation installs 40 new tube wells in various localities every year. But, the same number gets defunct due to water depletion. Experts have also advocated the usage of Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), generally known as Sultanwind Canal or Beas river, instead of groundwater.

“Instead of wasting money on installation of tube wells, the state government should make efforts in the right direction. As per previous estimates, it requires Rs 600 crore for extracting water from canal and its treatment,” says Kuljit Singh, a resident.

Hopefully, the water contamination issue would be addressed as Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh recently announced canal-based potable water supply system to address the crisis. “The state government gave approval to the World Bank-aided project to provide canal-based drinking water supply in the city. It’s a good move,” Kuljit adds.

The MC official is also full of hope: “Now that the government has given nod to the World Bank funded project. The issue shall be addressed soon.”