Dehra Gopipur residents facing acute water crisis

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, June 12

The drinking water crisis in Dehra Gopipur continued for the fourth day today as “Nakhear khud”, water source feeding the town, has dried up. All localities of Dehra Gopipur and the adjoining satellite areas are without water. People are fetching water from traditional water sources like hand pumps, ‘bablis’ and wells to meet their daily needs. There is uncertainty about when the water supply will be restored to the town.

IPH Department to supply water on alternate day

Water level in Nakehar khud feeding Dehara town and its adjoining areas had gone down, and the IPH department was unable to lift water to fill its overhead water tanks. Today onward, the IPH department would supply water to the town on an alternate day. — Tilak Raj, Executive Engineer, IPH, Dehra Gopipur

Dozens of private water tankers can be seen supplying water in different areas of the town. Subhash Chand and Kewal Walia, local residents, said they were paying a heavy price per water tank to feed their rooftop tanks. They demanded that the SDM should immediately fix the rate of water tanks to save the local residents from exploitation. However, despite serious water crisis, the IPH department has yet to press water tankers into service to meet the water shortage.

Tilak Raj, Executive Engineer, IPH, Dehra Gopipur division, said new lift water supply scheme for the town was under construction, and over 70 percent of civil works had already been completed. But a local resident has managed stay from the court due to which the work was delayed.

“Owing to deficient rainfall in March and April this year in the Kangra valley most of the local water sources have dried up in most parts of Kangra district resulting in an acute water shortage. Rising mercury has further multiplied the woes of people,” he added.

With glaciers in the Dhauladhar receding each year, experts say the government should look for alternative schemes rather than depending on the natural flow in streams.

Sanjay Thakur, Executive Engineer, IPH, Palampur, says global warming, melting glaciers, and receding snowline have affected the availability of surface water not only in Kangra but all over the state. However, groundwater is available in abundance. Therefore, the government must shift emphasis from surface to groundwater where natural water is not available.