Solan: Lana Bhalta villages finally have tap water as Rs 4.8 crore scheme bears fruit

Ambika Sharma

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Solan, May 28

With the Jal Shakti Department (JSD) successfully commissioning a Rs 4.8-crore lift potable water scheme, 10 villages of the remote Lana Bhalta panchayat in Rajgarh sub-division of Sirmaur district are finally getting piped water.

The area, which was hitherto dependent on natural sources of water, has been provided water at their doorstep, said Mandeep Gupta, executive engineer, JSD, Rajgarh.

“Women had to trudge several kilometres to fetch water from the bouris (natural water sources) to meet their daily requirements,” said Deepak, pradhan, Lana Bhalta panchayat.

He added, “There was no potable water scheme in our panchayat comprising several remote villages. Though some efforts were made in the past, these could not materialise owing to opposition by some people. We managed to convince them about the need to commission this scheme and today piped water has reached Lana Bhalta, which is a big achievement.”

The Rs 4.8-crore scheme has been set up over Miu Khud. “The area, having a difficult terrain, is also devoid of proper roads, though some are under construction now. This will ease the connectivity issue and facilitate travel,” added the pradhan, Deepak.

Locals had reservations about permitting the lifting of water from Miu Khud as they feared it would reduce the water level in summer, but they were brought around by the JSD staff.

In the past, locals used to transport water on mules over several kilometres. With few opportunities here, animal husbandry and agriculture were the only source of livelihood in the area. “The availability of water at home has saved the women the tedious trudge over long distances for water,” said Mandeep Gupta, who pursued the project.

“Work had started in 2021, but various challenges such as arranging water for construction were faced as the area lacked concrete roads. The local panchayat turned out to be a major help as they parted with their stored water,” said the executive engineer.

Water storage tanks have been constructed at an altitude of nearly 2,000 metres. The staff persistently pursued the problem of supplying power with the electricity department to ensure timely power supply to operate the scheme which paved way for its commissioning.