| In sweltering heat, Jammuites faces acute scarcity of water | | Nearly 12 million gallons gap between demand-supply | | G S Asgotra
Early Times Report
jammu, July 19: Every year, in entire Jammu city the demand of potable water increases manifold but contrary to demand, Public Health and Engineering Department (PHE) has failed to supply sufficient water, due to which, the outskirts of the city and newly established colonies are facing hardship to obtain potable water and department concerned seems still unmoved.
As per source in department informed Early Times that in entire city, the requirement of potable water is 47 milllion gallons for various purposes, but the department concerned has been providing only nearly 35 million gallons per day. Moreover, due to 12 million gallons daily (MGD) difference in demand- supply, most of localities of city is depriving from potable water.
"Due to shortfall of 12 million gallons, the residents of city outskirts are facing acute shortage of potable water and the department concerned has failed to meet genuine demands of Jammuites", he informed.
He further said that the department has six filtration plants, including four at Sheetli and one each at Boria (Gorkha Nagar) and Circuit Road Panjthirthi and all of them have totally installed capacity were 19 million gallons per day, adding, "In which the filtration plant of Circuit road Panjthirthi installed capacity is 1.25 million gallons of water per day, while remaining five have installed capacity of 3.5 million gallons of water per day per plant", source said.
An employee, wishing anonymity said, "These existing six filtration plants every day treat 19 million gallons water per day but it has been supplying only 17 million gallons of water while amount of water is being provided by around 225 tube wells per day, adding that owing to poor infrastructure, old pipes three million gallons water is washed away daily and department concerned is unbothered about it.
"But since the rainy season begun, all the filtrations plant have been reduced to half their capacity due to muddy water in Tawi river which is one of cause of scarcity of water in entire city", he said.
A retired engineer of the department wishing not to be quoted said, "With each passing year the demand of potable water has been increasing. The speed at which the demand for drinking water is growing, the department has failed to upgrade its infrastructure."
He further said that few years back, the department was contemplating to meet fast growing demand of potable water either to dig up more tubewells or to lift water from Chenab river but due to lackadaisical approach of incumbent government, the project to lift water from Chenab river has hung in balance for years. Pertinently, the residential colonies of Jammu city facing acute shortage of water include Old city, Jammu West, Canal road, Talab Tillo and Janipur. |
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