Pithoragarh, Champawat ready to face water shortage

BD Kasniyal

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Pithoragarh, March 23

Residents of Pithoragarh and Champawat towns are gearing up for drinking water shortage in coming summer months due to insufficient water resources and incomplete lift schemes. The Jal Sansthan Nigam will have to supply drinking water to residents by tankers.

Over a lakh population of Pithoragarh town gets drinking water from three resources at present, besides local natural resources. The main scheme to supply drinking water is from river Saryu near Ghat, which was constructed in 1989, but has lost its capacity due to old pumps and spares. According to Jal Sansthan sources in Pithoragarh, the alternative drinking scheme constructed at Thuligar has gone thin as the Army has constructed its own drinking scheme from same site of the Jal Sansthan scheme. “By all means we are able to supply only 5 million liters drinking water per day from all these resources against the demand of 12 MLD at present,” says RK Verma, Executive Officer, Jal Sansthan, Pithoragarh.

Verma says the high capacity lift drinking water scheme being constructed from Auwlaghat to fulfil the water needs of people for the next 50 years, has complete only 70 per cent. “The drinking water problem of the district can be solved only after the completion of the Auwlaghat project,” he adds.

In Champawat town, the proposed drinking water scheme from Quaralaghati is lagging behind the schedule due to non-availability of funds. “The scheme meant to supply drinking water from a distance of 35 km over the Qurala river was cleared in 2016 and a budget of Rs 30.88 crore was sanctioned for it. However, the department has released only Rs 3 crore while tenders to the tune of Rs 17.90 crore are yet to be opened,” says Rajesh Kumar Gupta, Executive Engineer, Champawat Jal Nigam. According to Jal Nigam sources in Champawat, the town could be relieved of the acute drinking water shortage in coming years only if the budget sanctioned for it is released in time.