Regulate water timings, fix leaks & harvest rainwater

Strengthen urban water management

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To ensure a smooth and regular water supply to all areas, at least for fixed hours, the Municipal Corporation can take several steps. Conducting regular water audits is essential to identify areas facing water shortages, detect water wastage and address issues like malfunctioning tube wells. This proactive approach allows for necessary corrective measures to be taken in time. Replacing old pipelines with new ones may significantly reduce leakages and minimise water loss. Additionally, the Punjab Municipal Building Byelaws-2010 emphasise the need for rainwater harvesting, which should be implemented strictly. These provisions can contribute to groundwater recharge and reduce pressure on the municipal water supply. To encourage the adoption of rainwater harvesting, the timely implementation of centrally sponsored AMRUT 2.0, launched in 2021, should be prioritised. This programme aims to cover all statutory towns in the country, ensuring universal coverage of water supply, focusing on rejuvenating water bodies, managing urban aquifers and promoting recycling, reuse and rainwater harvesting to bolster freshwater resources while maintaining a positive groundwater balance in urban aquifer systems. Public awareness campaigns, workshops and educational programmes about the benefits of rainwater harvesting, installation guidelines and water conservation are also essential. Guiding residents about proper water utilisation practices, such as metered connections and rational water tariffs, can minimise water wastage. Punjab has achieved a 100 per cent tap water supply to all households and is advancing canal-based drinking water supply projects to provide safe potable water to villages and cities. Cities like Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Patiala are involved in these ongoing water projects, which should be prioritised to reduce dependence on groundwater and foster more sustainable water supply solutions. Upgrading water treatment plants and enhancing supply infrastructure can also ensure an adequate water supply. Facilitating resident participation in water conservation efforts can cultivate a sense of community ownership and responsibility among residents.

(Dr) Kulwant Singh Phull

Power backup for regular supply

Besides water being a basic element of sustaining life, it is the most sought-after daily requirement of human lives. Ensuring adequate and sufficient supply of quality water to the human inhabitants is a prime responsibility of any government of a civilised society. However, this task has since been assigned to local governing bodies which are primarily responsible for the same. One of the parameters for judging the success of any local governance is the quality of water management to the entire satisfaction of the residents. However, unfortunately, public grievances relating to the supply and quality of water are increasing with the passage of time. It is observed that water supply is badly affected due to power outage. To overcome this problem, alternate sources of power like generators or inverters must be automatically connected for uninterrupted extraction of groundwater. Regular and timely maintenance of such appliances, with occasional testing, may be carried out by supervisory staff. Further, a responsible officer may be entrusted with the job of ensuring quality of water through occasional lab testing. The option of tapping solar energy may be utilised for uninterrupted working. The Mayor/MC Commissioner should themselves address all the water-related grievances and an evening report from the field staff should be monitored on a daily basis. A campaign should be launched to make the public aware of saving and conservation of water and rules for the same should be framed for strict enforcement.

Jagdish Chander

Revise summer water schedule

As summers are in full swing, heat waves will soon engulf the atmosphere, leading to soaring temperatures and increased demand for drinking water. There are a number of tube wells in the entire Municipal Corporations and Committees to feed the masses with safe and hygienic drinking water. The current water supply timings are from 5 am to 9 am and from 5 pm to 9 pm. As the demand for drinking water increases manifold, the underground water table starts receding, sometimes leading to dry tube wells. Simultaneously, the pressure in the water pipelines reduces. The timing needs to be rescheduled in the scorching heat from 4.30 am to 9.30 am, from 12 noon to 2 pm, and in the evening from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm, as it takes time to create pressure in the water pipes. The new timetable should be enforced immediately so that the masses do not have to face erratic water supply. Even though water pipelines are interconnected with a number of tube wells, if any tube well fails, water with low pressure continues to various areas. With the increasing population in metropolitan cities, the demand for safe, hygienic water has also increased manifold. Families having big residential plots/residences have already installed submersible pumps, reducing dependence on water from Municipal Corporation tube wells. It is time for the local self-government to keep a number of submersible motors on standby, so that if one tube well submersible motor pump goes out of order, it can be replaced within 72 hours. This will ensure that residents do not suffer from erratic water supply.

Rajat Kumar Mohindru

Curb illegal usage of water

People are suffering from erratic water supply or no water supply in some areas. The reasons include illegal connections and leakage in pipelines, which reduce water flow and result in very low water pressure. We, the residents, are also responsible for the scarcity of water. Without thinking, too much water is wasted by washing cars and most of the time, water taps remain open, leading to wastage. If the colonies receive regular water supply in the morning and evening, there would be no need for tulu pumps and motors. The authorities should deploy water tankers in areas facing acute water shortages to provide at least temporary relief. Water meters should be made compulsory to stop water wastage. If water is used beyond the prescribed limit, it should be heavily charged. This will automatically reduce wastage.

Rainwater harvesting should be promoted and made compulsory. Authorities should replace old, leaking pipelines which are also dangerous for health because of stagnant water accumulation.

Shashi Kiran

prevent wastage of water Fixing water supply issues during summers is crucial. In urban areas, the supply of water to households comes under the purview of local municipal bodies. As water consumption rises significantly with the onset of summer, it becomes essential to ensure uninterrupted supply. Maintenance staff must take adequate steps for the timely servicing of water pipelines and overhauling of pump-sets and other equipment before extreme heatwaves arrive. Generally, water pipes and motors often develop snags and are found dysfunctional at many places due to a lack of proactive care by officials. Consequently, residents are subjected to numerous hardships from erratic water supply. Apart from increased drinking water requirements during summer, water usage for irrigation and other purposes also rises. Given that water and air are basic needs for survival, every citizen must use and conserve these natural resources wisely. Residents should actively prevent wastage and adopt a holistic approach to overcome the rising water demand during adverse weather conditions. For immediate relief, municipal authorities may need to regulate domestic supply by fixing specific hours and restricting excessive use for activities like car washing and gardening. As responsible citizens, every household must adhere to water regulations. Given the alarming depletion of groundwater, integrated solutions to recharge reservoirs are urgently needed. Reckless deforestation for infrastructure projects must be ecologically balanced to avoid adverse effects on rainfall and worsening water scarcity. The agriculture sector should explore crop diversification, opting for non-water-guzzling varieties. Industrial units should be required to install rainwater harvesting systems and filtration units to recycle wastewater. Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) must be set up to treat wastewater for reuse in parks and plantations, preserving municipal water solely for domestic needs. The State Water Works Department should use scientific methods to prevent erratic water supply by ensuring regular maintenance, repairing leaks, and replacing aging pipelines. A campaign to grow more saplings should be launched to induce rainfall and reduce environmental impact. Finally, conservation techniques like rainwater harvesting and reverse well methods must be adopted to effectively address the water crisis.

Nirmaljit Singh Chatrath

Modernise water infrastructure

Water is the elixir of life. The vitality of water in human life is well known and life without water seems impossible. Keeping in view its importance, smooth water supply is essential. As clean water plays a vital role in human health, its availability and quality are also significant. With summer at its peak, so is the demand for clean water. Erratic water supply is very common these days. However, by following a few simple remedies, water can be made available.

In this era of modern technology, old machinery should be replaced by high-tech motors, pumps, switches, etc. Modern equipment should be installed. There should be a parallel system so that if any technical fault occurs, the second system can be used. Much time is generally wasted in repairs, so a parallel system is a perfect remedy. The same applies to operators — instead of depending on a single person, a trained and expert team should operate the water system. We should not depend solely on electricity; solar systems should also be installed. For cleanliness, water cleansers should be added to the tanks regularly to improve water quality. Water pipes should be checked routinely for leakages to avoid mixing of sewage with drinking water. Water supply should be strictly for fixed hours twice a day so that it is used wisely. This lifeline called water should not be given free. Genuine charges should be taken from consumers, which will help in improvement and modernisation of our water system. Let us all come forward to save this precious treasure for ourselves and the coming generations.

Anjali Kumar