No consensus over additional water supply

With no consensus having been reached between Punjab and Haryana over the sharing of water from Kajauli Water Works, the next summer could spell trouble for the residents of Chandigarh. The issue has been hanging fire for the past few years and talks between the states have not borne any fruit.

What will add to the problem is that Chandigarh might have to give 9 million gallons daily (mgd) of water to Panchkula and Chandimandir by the end of this year. The chances of additional water supply appear bleak, even though officials of the Administration are reportedly holding meetings with their counterparts in the states. Chandigarh receives 87 mgd of water of which 67 mgd is from four phases of Kajauli Water Works and the remaining is supply from tubewells. Of this, 67 mgd a total of 9 mgd would have to be supplied to Panchkula and Chandimandir. While this was to be the share of Haryana from the first phase onwards due to pipelines not having been laid the water was being used by Chandigarh. The peak demand in Chandigarh during the summers touches around 117 mgd. During summers, problems like reduction in supply hours and low water pressure are already experienced. A further reduction in the water supply would cause problems for the residents.

UT Adviser K K Sharma says that talks are going on with the two states and a solution to the problem would be found. A plan for Augmentation of Water Supply Scheme for Phase V and VI for Kajauli was prepared by the Municipal Corporation around two years back. Funds for the same were approved under JNNURM by the Central government. However, with the Punjab government not agreeing to release water, the scheme had to be scrapped.

Punjab government stated that Chandigarh could take water from Phases VII and VIII of Kajauli instead of Phases V and VI. However, there was not enough land to lay so many pipelines. Thereafter it was decided that Greater Mohali Area Development Authority would lay pipelines of twice the capacity than what was proposed. Instead of 20 mgd to be made available from each phase, it was decided that two pipelines of 40 mgd each to be laid.
Work on pipelines is almost complete. Haryana had also raised objection to Punjab taking water from Kajauli phases.