From Bhakra Main Line to city taps,long journey for your share of water

Prior to this,the demand for water was being met by tubewells. With the growing population and the expanding area of the city,a need was felt for additional water supply. The Central government asked the city and its neighbouring states to find a solution. An agreement was signed in 1983 as per which sharing of water between Chandigarh,Punjab and Haryana was decided.

It is from the head regulator of Bhakra Mainline Canal that the water is supplied to the four phases of Kajauli. The construction is such that only the requisite amount of water is diverted. From here water enters into the main sump from where it gets divided into two and reaches the two pump houses at the water works through underground pipelines. The inlet to the sump has to be cleared every two hours,with offerings like garlands thrown by people into the water blocking the way.

There are two pump houses at the water works. While the maintenance of Phases I,II and IV is with the Punjab government,Chandigarh maintains Phase III. Work for beautification of the water works is going on at present. The boundary wall was earlier 3 feet high and did not prove a deterrent for anyone to enter. The height has now been doubled. Upgradation of the machinery is also going on. Those working here say that snakes are commonly found in the area that is surrounded by agricultural fields on all sides.

Jankar Singh,a work munshi who has been working at the water works for two decades,says that at that time there were no proper roads leading to the water works. The situation has gradually undergone a change.

In each of the pump houses,two pumps work round the clock while another is a back-up. This is necessitated as Kajauli is located below the level of Chandigarh. The city is around 300 feet above Kajauli’s level. Due to this,water has to be supplied against gravity. A diesel engine is also kept as back-up in case the electricity supply fails. A glitch at any of these points affects water supply to the city.

The pumps are attached to underground pipelines that cover a distance of 27 kilometres for bringing the water to the water works in Sector 39,Chandigarh. The water works has seven storage tanks for storing raw water. The turbidity level of water indicating the quantity of dissolved particles is checked every two hours as it enters the water works here. The water is then treated accordingly. It is then that the water is sent to water works in different sectors before it finally lands in the taps of the city residents.

Water Works,Sec 39

The raw water from Kajauli Water Works reaches Sector 39 where it is treated. The first step is to add alum to the water for making flocs or collecting the dissolved particles that can be weeded out. After floculation,sedimentation is done so that impurities settle down. Thereafter,filtration is done. This is followed by chlorination to ensure that bacteria is removed.

Payment to Punjab

Chandigarh pays more than Rs 2 crore as monthly electricity bills to Punjab for running the pumps at Kajauli Water Works. A quarterly payment of Rs 40 lakh is also made for maintenance. The upgradation of the pump houses and water works is going on.

(Tomorrow: Already short of water,city loses 22 per cent to theft and wastage)