Potable drinking water supply to be shored up in 140 village

The sewerage board has been trying to procure World Bank loan for the water supply and sewerage in the Punjab towns but it has not met with success because of the World Bank condition of scrapping subsidy on water supply.

Interestingly, Jalandhar, a prominent town of Punjab has got water supply for only 58 per cent of its approximately seven lakh population. The rest 42 per cent population goes without regular drinking water supply, Mahajan said.

However, the Rs 11.5 crore grant for the city’s water supply sanctioned by then Prime Minister I.K. Gujral which has been received recently by the corporation here has come handy. Mahajan said a detailed plan has been chalked out and after its execution 70 per cent of city’s population would be covered by the drinking water supply.

Regarding the ongoing Satluj’s action plan, Mahajan said the Rs 250 crore project would be completed by the year 2002. The project envisages cleaning the Sutlej river the lifeline of Punjab in the districts of Jalandhar and Ludhiana and Phagwara and PhillaurMost of the industries have been indiscriminately throwing untreated waste water into the river. The cost of the plan is being shared by the Punjab government and the Centre government on the 50-50 basis.