Soaring mercury exposes power,water shortage

On the power front,unscheduled power cuts ranging between 10-12 hours daily besides frequent tripping and voltage fluctuation has become a norm for the past one week. Though the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has announced a 4-hour scheduled power cut daily to ensure 8 hours of uninterrupted power supply to farmers for paddy sowing,the duration of cuts is almost double. Contrary to PSEB’s assurance not to cut power supply during night,power plays truant during night as well. Power supply remained suspended on Friday for almost 10 hours till 5 pm.

Though PSEB,Municipal Council,Water Supply Sanitation Department and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) officials have claimed that they are doing their best to fight the situation,it appears they have once again been caught on the wrong foot with the present system clearly not equipped to cater to the power and water demands this season.

Mohali’s daily requirement is around 20 MGD while only 13 MGD is available,officials explain. However,substantial amount of water is lost in leakage and theft,which,however,authorities deny. This further widens the gap,which rises by another 3 MGD during the peak summer season. Irrigation of lawns and potted plants together with filling room/desert coolers is responsible for around 15 per cent rise in consumption. Ten MGD Kajauli water and 3 MGD from 28 functional tubewells cater to around 3 lakh residents settled in 23.86 square km area divided in 31 wards.

Municipal councillor Kuljit Singh Bedi said the delay in installation of 4 new tubewells approved by the civic body two years ago for Phases III-A,III-B-II,V and VII aggravated the problem. “Red tapism delayed the work,following which another summer has gone with water shortage,” complained Bedi,while demanding immediate installation of tubewells.

“Power and water woes have become a routine every year. The authorities have failed to make necessary arrangements to generate additional power to meet the growing requirement,” said N S Gill,president of Consumer Protection and Grievances Redressal Forum.

Forum General Secretary Col Angad Singh (Retd) said there was need to harness alternate sources of energy. “The Government should provide subsidy to consumers for use of solar energy and CFLs,” he demanded.

PSEB officials attribute power cuts to instant orders of the Power Controller from Patiala while the officials responsible for water supply expressed helplessness until the two new proposed phases of Kajauli waterworks with provision of 20 MGD water were made operational.