Mandi heaves sigh of relief: Partial water supply restored after 4-day crisis

After four days of acute shortage, partial water supply has finally been restored in Mandi town. The disruption followed extensive damage to the main Uhal river water supply scheme near the Score area, caused by heavy rainfall and landslides earlier this week. The collapse of critical infrastructure left the Mandi Municipal Corporation (MC) without its primary water source.

To manage the crisis, the Jal Shakti Department has begun tapping the Beas River near Paddal using high-powered pumps. However, frequent water releases from the Larji and Pandoh dams have raised silt levels in the Beas, making it difficult to pump water efficiently and delaying full restoration.

Superintending Engineer Raj Kumar Saini explained: “Due to damage in the Score area, the main Uhal river pipeline has been disrupted. We are supplying water from the Beas, but high silt content is posing serious operational challenges.”

Chief Engineer (PMU) HP RWSP, Upender Vaidya, highlighted the precarious situation: “Constant hill sliding in the Score area has badly damaged the Uhal scheme. On top of this, heavy silt in the Beas from frequent dam discharges makes pumping extremely difficult.”

Meanwhile, residents of the Mandi MC have voiced anger over the prolonged crisis, accusing the Jal Shakti Department of failing to prepare effective contingency plans. Despite the hurdles, officials remain cautiously optimistic. “If the weather stays clear for the next 10 days, we expect to fully restore the Uhal river supply and normalise water distribution across Mandi town,” Vaidya added.

The department has appealed to residents to conserve water and cooperate as restoration work continues under challenging weather and terrain conditions.