Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, May 25: While the State Irrigation Department has cleared all the hurdles for the Phase–Ist of mega Rs 1008 crore Chenab water supply project for Greater Jammu, the city of temples is still facing a shortfall of nearly 25 MGD (25 lakh gallons) of water per day.
Authoritative sources told Excelsior that the State Cabinet has already okayed the project which will cater to the needs of the people of Jammu city in next at least 30 to 35 years. ERA has started working on the phase-I of the project.
All the initial hurdles related to water lifting and land requirement from Irrigation and Flood Control Department in Akhnoor area have been cleared. The tenders are also being floated by the agency shortly. 2017 is the completion target of the Phase-Ist. The initial project cost is Rs 500 cr but it is likely to escalate to Rs 700 crore, the sources added.
The project has been designed to cater to the need of water supply for the Greater Jammu for the next over 30 years. The river Tawi has been found inadequate to meet the demand of water supply for over 13 lakh souls or more in the next decades.
The Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) has prepared the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the first phase of the project costing over Rs 500 crore. The designed period of the Ist phase is for next 15 years and the second phase for the next additional 15 years. In Phase-I, the PHE authorities planned to lift 225 MLD of water from river Chenab. The intake water channel will be dug about 70 meters down stream the existing old bridge on the left bank of the river at Akhnoor. The intake structure would be raised there and the water would be taken up to Gurha Pattan, about one kilometer from this point, where water treatment plant will be set up.
The sources further disclosed that water by gravity from this point will be taken to Muthi (Jammu) Central Pumping Station for storage, through pipes of 1.8 mt diameter, covering 20.5 km distance. It will be lifted to upper Roop Nagar storage tanks and then supplied to the city areas where water deficiency exists. The proposed areas to be covered in Jammu north- west are Roop Nagar, Bantalab, Muthi, Durga Nagar, Buta Nagar, Janipur, Indira Colony, Bhawani Nagar, Naseeb Nagar, Patoli, Ploura, Rajpura, Rehari and New Plot etc.
From the Muthi central storage point, the water will also be taken to Narwal pumping station and Belicharna with gravity. The water stored there will be supplied to the areas like Bathindi, Sunjwan, Channi Himmat, Sainik Colony, Greater Kailash, Gangyal, Chatha, Raipur, Satwari, Jeevan Nagar, Airport area etc.
Incharge Chief Engineer PHE, I & FC Jammu K K Gupta when contacted told that department was presently providing nearly 42.5 MGD of water per day to the population of over 13 lakh in Jammu city. He said the net requirement of water for the existing city population is 45 MGL of water per day. So, 2.5 MGD (25 lakh gallons) of water shortage was still there in the city. He however, claimed that with the augmentation works being executed at Shitlee, Muthi, Bahu Fort and Sainik Colony, this shortfall will be overcome within next one month. In other words, as per required standards, the city would get sufficient water after June this year, he added.
Mr Gupta pointed out that after augmentation work, the areas like Sainik Colony, Greater Kailash, Channi Himmat, Shakti Nagar and parts of Jammu west will have big relief after one month. He said the requirement of water in Jammu per house- hold is nearly 135 Lt per day and the department is unable to meet the target at present.
He said power shortage and low voltage is the major problem which is affecting the supply position in urban and semi urban as well as rural areas. He pointed out that major pumping stations like Sitlee near Nagrota bypass, Boria near Bagh-e-Bahu, Dhonthli (Panjtirthi), Company Bagh near main Tawi bridge and Muthi (Akhnoor Road) are mainly dependent on power supply. These five stations have to feed nearly 206 tube wells/ reservoirs.
Replying to another question, the Chief Engineer said due to long power cuts and low voltage, the water supply is badly affected during peak summers every year. He said over 200 Tube wells were dependent on power supply. On an average two to three of them remain out of order due to mechanical faults and get affected due to power curtailment. Low voltage is yet another problem and it aggravates the problem during hot summer days every year and the pumps go out of order.
Commenting on the progress on Chenab water project, he said the initial hurdles related to water lifting from the river at Akhnoor, land requirement and water channel related issues stand cleared by the I&FC Department. PHE Minister’s intervention had to be sought for the land acquisition issue from the private parties also in Akhnoor area. He said the ERA has started work on the project and 2017 is said to be the completion target of phase–I of the project.
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