Most repair work done,water crisis likely to end on Saturday

Meanwhile,most residents were relieved to see the situation improve. The partial water supply,which has resumed in mornings and evenings,has helped them store enough water for the day to meet their basic needs. Tankers,too,went door to door to supply water and even fill up tanks.

Sub-Divisional Engineer Gurparkash Singh,the nodal officer appointed to manage the tankers and the temporary control room,said the situation is much better than before and most residents are now are out of the crisis.

“Low-pressure supply in the morning is good enough for the day. The partial supply has helped to fill underground tanks – enough for a day’s survival. Such a crisis has come after a long time,therefore,people were not prepared for it. Some jittery people were also seen buying water at any cost,thus playing into the hands of exploiters,” said Lt Col S S Sohi,a resident of Sector 71,referring to the private water tanker suppliers who are overcharging people. The price of a tanker has gone up from Rs 350 to around Rs 600 after the crisis struck.

Some residents,however,still complained of a very low supply of water. “It hardly resumed for half-an-hour last evening,” said Parminder Singh,a resident of Phase 11. Partial water supply resumed in Phases 9 to 11 after the supply line of these areas was connected to that of Phase 7.

The water supply to parts of Mohali was cut off on August 20 after Phase III and Phase IV pipelines of the Kajauli Water Works were damaged near Gharuan village due to the excavation work being done to lay two new pipelines.