In corona times, water crisis adds to woes in Chandigarh villages

“The government is emphatic that we wash our hands every half an hour to keep the coronavirus at bay. But how do we stay safe when we don’t have enough water even for drinking or cooking?” asked Ajay Pandey, resident of Daria, a village on the periphery of Chandigarh, where several localities have been struggling with water scarcity for two weeks now.

Pandey was among several others who, with their empty buckets, gathered near Boriwali Gali Tubewell in Daria Colony on Tuesday evening to protest water scarcity. Their struggle to get water is far greater than their need to take precautions.

Raje Da Bagh and Sunrise School Colony, where more than 500 families live, are some of the other localities in a water crisis, said Daria’s former sarpanch Gupreet Singh Happy.

Speaking on the issue, Chandigarh civic body’s junior engineer, Jatinder Walia, said most areas where water supply is erratic fall outside the lal dora area of the village, where people have illegally punctured water pipes. “But the situation is expected to ease as we have increased operational hours of tubewells,” he said.

Area volunteer Sunil Singh said these were lame excuses as 90% of the population outside lal dora has legal water connections. “The issue is the rapid increase in population. The water available is inadequate its distribution is poor,” he added.

“Till the time our village gets water from the canal, there will always be water scarcity in summer,” said former sarpanch Gurpeet Singh.

Daria is not the only area affected by the erratic supply of clean drinking water. Residents of Sanjay Colony near the Industrial Area also held a protest against water scarcity in their area last Friday. Area councillor Shakti Prakash Devshali said the colony’s only source of water is through the stand post even as the demand has reached its peak due to the summer. “I am trying my best to arrange MC tankers for the area,” he said.

Complaints of water shortage are also pouring in daily from Hallomajra, Ram Darbar, Kishangarh, Palsora, Dhanas and Maloya.

Satish Kainth, the Congress councillor representing Palsora, said the municipal corporation has spent ₹200 crore to bring an additional 29 MGD canal water but the city’s distribution system is in peril. “Urban pockets of Chandigarh are well connected to canal water supply. But there is no such system in villages and colonies, where supply is inadequate as there are only a few tubewells,” he informed.

“Moreover, authorities are not strengthening water infrastructure outside lal dora, claiming that construction in such areas is illegal. However, if most residents there have legal water connections, how can the MC or UT deny them their right to clean water?” Kainth questioned.

Kishangarh resident Narinder Lubana said there were only two tubewells for 22,000 residents of Kishangarh village (behind Sukhna Lake). “We have been asking MC to install more tubewells for the last two years but all in vain,” he said. “Those who can afford it bring private tankers, while others struggle to get water every day,” he said.

During the Tuesday review meeting, UT administrator VP Singh Badnore directed the MC commissioner KK Yadav to ensure adequate drinking water supply to the city. “Tankers should be dispatched, wherever necessary,” he said further.

While Yadav could not be reached, MC chief engineer Shailender Singh said tankers are being sent to areas affected by water scarcity. “We will increase the frequency,” he said.