Against the current: Jal Shakti staff’s daring repair work restores supply

Braving the gushing currents, the field staff of the Jal Shakti Department’s Dharampur division displayed exemplary courage in restoring the submerged infrastructure of a water supply scheme at Larah village near Kasauli.

The rivulet, from where water is lifted, had swollen dangerously after four days of relentless rain, washing away crucial paraphernalia of the supply system and disrupting water supply to hundreds of residents in Garkhal and adjoining areas for five days.

Such flooding of the khud is a rare occurrence in recent years. However, the ferocity this monsoon made it impossible for staff to even cross over to the pump house until the rain subsided yesterday. Once access was gained, restoration work began immediately, while villagers waited patiently for supply to resume.

Despite working with limited funds and outdated infrastructure, the staff toiled through cold and wet conditions for an entire day to repair pipelines and restore supply today. Typically, the scheme faces interruptions after heavy showers due to excessive turbidity or power outages, but this year’s challenge was compounded by the loss of access to the pump house itself.

The incident has once again exposed the fragility of infrastructure. At a time when the Jal Shakti Department is pushing to install ultraviolet-based purification systems in contaminated schemes, the recurring failure of basic structures after every spell of heavy rain reflects official apathy.

Solan Superintending Engineer Sanjeev Soni assured corrective measures: “I will soon visit the Larah area and explore the possibility of constructing a pond of sizable capacity so that water can be stored and utilised during exigencies, besides improving the infrastructure to avert frequent breakdowns.”