150-km-long water supply network upgraded in city

Sumit Hakhoo

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 31

At a time when residents are holding protests against the shortage of drinking water, there is a ray of hope for better times ahead. A water pipe network as long as 150 km has been relaid in the city.

A senior official of the Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) claimed that the agency had upgraded the network under the urban sector plan, covering 8.42 sq km to augment the existing distribution network that had been laid about 50 years ago. He said it would be made operational in the next two months.

Officials said the project was in the last stage of its completion and it would soon be connected to the distribution sources for a smooth water supply in the winter capital.

“The Public Health and Engineering (PHE) Department had sent us a request to replace the existing network and we have done the necessary work. A 150-km-long distribution line has been relaid which will cater to 2.70 lakh people, especially in the Jammu West area,” said RK Gupta, Project Director (Hydraulic), ERA.

The pilot study conducted by international experts to assess the non-revenue water losses revealed that 35 per cent of the water was getting wasted during the transmission and distribution.

The problem of illegal connections was considered the main reason for the loss as the water didn’t reach the targeted areas.

On the downside, this work has caused a lot of damage to the road network in the city. The problem is more on the New Plot-Janipur stretch, which witnesses the maximum burden of traffic.

Around 7 lakh people live in 71 municipal wards of the city — referred to as the core city area. The city faces a water shortage of two million gallon daily (MGD). The daily potable water requirement of Jammu is 47 MGD.

Jammu city, the power centre during the days of the Dogra dynasty, got its organised water supply system in 1934 when the first treatment plant was built on the orders of Maharaja Hari Singh at Panjtirthi. As per the 2011 Census, the population of Jammu is 15 lakh and is expected to reach 20 lakh by 2023 and 30 lakh by 2030-35.

To be operational in 2 months: Official

• The city faces a water shortage of two million gallon daily (MGD). The daily potable water requirement of Jammu is 47 MGD 
• A study to assess the  non-revenue water losses revealed that 35 per cent of the water was  getting wasted during the distribution
• The upgraded distribution line will cater to 2.70 lakh people, especially in the Jammu West area. It would be made operational in two months, said an official