They wake up to collect water at 1 am

There ARE some areas in the city where Lucknowites stay awake or set the alarm for 1 am just to collect a bucket of water! Residents of Shakti Nagar, Indira Nagar and Brahmpuri areas near Jugauli have no option because the Jal Sansthan supplies water to localities after midnight. Similar is the case in some Old City mohallas of Moulviganj, and Rakabganj.

“We have lost sleep due to water.  Water is supplied at 1.00 am just for two hours during the night. If we don’t stay up to collec the water at this time, then the next day has to be suffered without water. How long can we suffer like this?” asks a resident of Shakti Nagar.

“The water is supplied at such low pressure by the Sansthan that it just doesn’t reach the taps. So, when there’s no power to run the pump, we go thirsty and without water for daily household chores or bathing,” he says.

Residents have to bring water from a hand pump far away. “During the day we work in offices and during the nights we store water.  We are middle class people. We cannot afford to buy mineral water for the family. We have complained to the Sansthan officials a number of times, but they have not paid any attention to our problem,” said Amit, another resident of Shakti Nagar.

Rasheed of Mashakganj in Old City says, “We stand in a queue during the nights to fetch water for the home. Sometimes there are even fights with neighbours over water.”

According to the Jal Sansthan general manager, colonies like Mashakganj and other parts of Moulviganj are at the tail-end of the zonal pumping stations and therefore, receive a poorer water supply than other parts. There are some technical difficulties which are being sorted out by the engineers.”

For areas like Shakti Nagar and Brahma Puri, he said, “We fill the water tanks by the tubewells in the area of Indira Nagar during the nights and that's why the pressure during the nights in these areas is good. But during daytime these areas by virtue of being situated on the periphery of the city get a poorer water supply than other parts of Indira Nagar. But from today, I have directed the zonal officials to maintain adequate water pressure during round-the-clock so that residents of even the far-off areas do not suffer.”