24 water harvesting systems to help pull Karnal out of ‘dark’ zone

Tribune News Service

Parveen Arora

Karnal, April 2

To tackle the problem of depleting water table, the Karnal Municipal Corporation is constructing 24 rainwater harvesting systems across the city under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, which aims to rejuvenate water sources and boost water table.

22 systems operational

• Of the 24 systems, work on 20 systems constructed by the civic body has been completed and are operational, while two of the total four systems constructed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme are also ready
• A sum of Rs 62 lakh has been spent on the 20 systems constructed by the civic body. Many of these have been installed in parks and near markets. The MC Commissioner has instructed the officials concerned to ensure the maintenance of these systems

Karnal falls under the ‘dark’ zone category in the state due to depleting groundwater level, indicating a water scarcity issue in the coming years. To address the issue, the civic body initiated these measures to address the problem.

Of the 24 systems, work on 20 systems constructed by the civic body has been completed and are operational, while two of the total four systems constructed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme are also ready.

“Four rainwater harvesting systems are being constructed in Jhanjhari, Uchana, Dholgarh, and Saidpura villages under AMRUT. Construction of the systems in Jhanjhari and Dholgarh has been completed, while work on the remaining two is ongoing,” said XEN Satish Sharma.

XEN Priyanka Saini said the remaining 20 systems have been installed at various parts of the city. A sum of Rs 62 lakh has been spent on these 20 systems. Many of these have been installed in parks and near markets, where rainwater accumulates. She said all systems are operational and will help recharge the city’s water table.

Emphasising the significance of these water recharging systems, MC Commissioner Abhishek Meena said, “Officials concerned have been instructed to ensure the maintenance of these systems.”

Local residents welcomed the step and are hopeful that these would help in recharging the water table.

“The depleting water levels have been a matter of concern for years. These water harvesting systems will boost the water table. The authorities should ensure that these remain functional,” said Gurvinder Hans, a local resident.

Another resident Sudhir Kumar also raised the issue of their maintenance and said some rainwater recharging systems installed earlier have been non-functional and are of no use without proper maintenance.

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