Black water flows from taps in Muktsar
Amid rising concerns over brackish and discolored water flowing in the Sirhind Feeder canal for the past couple of days, the authorities have finally halted its use for public water supply in Malout town.
The Water Supply and Sewerage Board has switched to underground water, resulting in a curtailed supply schedule for residents.
Officials have now decided to supply water on alternate days. An engineer from the Board admitted that while the canal water was being treated, the foul smell and murky appearance remained a concern.
“Now, we have started using underground water. We will continue supplying underground water after treating it, until the canal water becomes clear,” said the engineer.
He further claimed that Gidderbaha town and Mandi Bariwala had access to other water sources, so the supply there remained unaffected.
Meanwhile, officials from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department in Muktsar town said they had already avoided storing the canal’s brackish water in local reservoirs.
“Instead, we are drawing underground water from tubewells to meet daily demand,” said Shaminder Singh, Executive Engineer, Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Muktsar.
However, some local residents complained about receiving severely contaminated water. “My area residents are getting completely black water, like sewage,” said Tejinder Singh Jimmy Brar, municipal councillor of ward 8, a resident of Khalsa School Road in Muktsar.
“This can easily lead to a major outbreak of water-borne diseases,” he added. In response, the Water Supply and Sanitation Department officials claimed they were actively working to resolve the issue.
Notably, the farmers have recently lodged some protests over the deteriorating quality of canal water.
