Ban on watering lawns, washing cars from April 15

 Rajinder Nagarkoti

Chandigarh, April 2

To check the water shortage problem during summer, the Municipal Corporation (MC) has decided to impose a ban on watering of lawns and washing of cars and courtyards using a hosepipe in the morning (5 am to 9 am), beginning April 15.

The ban will continue till June 30. The MC has fixed an amount of Rs 2,000 as fine for the violators. The violation of the ban will attract penalty and can lead to disconnection of the water supply. Leakage in the overhead water tank, personal water pipes and booster pumps installed on the water meter will also attract penalty. The official orders in this regard will be issued on April 6.

MC teams, headed by an SDO, will conduct checks in the morning hours to prevent water wastage. Challans will be handed over to the violators on the spot. The fine will be added to the water bills.

A senior MC official said in case residents used buckets to wash vehicles, the official on the spot would decide whether or not there was any wastage of water, and act accordingly. 

In the summer, the water shortage is likely to be more acute in southern sectors, particularly the densely populated Sectors 34, 35, 36, 37, 40, 41, 42, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48 and 49. The worst-hit are likely to be the apartments in Sectors 48, 49 and 50 as some of them are four-storeyed and water pressure is not enough to reach the second and third floors.

Shortage of 29 MGD

At present, the water availability in the UT is 87 million gallons per day (MGD). Of this, 67 MGD comes form the Kajauli canal, which is about 27 km from Chandigarh, while the remaining 20 MGD is generated through tubewells. There was already a gap of 29 MGD between the demand and supply. The city is receiving 87 MGD of water against the demand for 116 MGD. The MC has already started the process for giving 6 MGD of water to Panchkula. 

Consumption in VIP sectors high

According to a report of the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), residents of VIP sectors (Sector 1 to 10) are consuming 2,000-2,500 litres of water per day as compared to residents of southern sectors and colonies, where the consumption is 250 litres and 100 litres per day, respectively.