135 liters of water will be available per person per day. symbolic picture
Avinash Srivastava, Sitarganj. There is hope for the city residents to get rid of the years-old drinking water problem. Uttarakhand Urban Sector Development Agency (UUSDA) has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) to completely transform the city's dilapidated water system. The implementation of this scheme will not only end the current water crisis, but will also provide adequate, safe and regular drinking water to the growing population for the next three decades. DPR worth about Rs 81 crore has been prepared for the scheme.
Only 27 percent of the total population of the city is connected to the pipeline. The entire system is running on the basis of only three tube wells, two overhead tanks and about 28.5 kilometers of old distribution lines. In most wards, people get water only for 2 to 4 hours a day. The situation becomes more dire in summer, when in many localities one has to resort to tankers, hand pumps or private means. Leakage, low pressure and water wastage are common due to dilapidated pipelines. There is no effective control over distribution due to lack of metering. Sidewalk industrial area, new colonies and rapidly increasing population have further deepened the problem.
What will be special in the new scheme? All 13 wards of the city will be covered under the new groundwater based modern water supply system. Under this, eight new tube wells will be installed, 4 modern overhead tanks will be constructed, the entire city will be divided into 4 zones and 6 district metering areas, so that supply with equal pressure is ensured. 146 kilometers of new distribution pipeline will be laid. A total of 8,529 domestic water connections will be made. Upon completion of the scheme, 135 liters of water will be available per person per day, which is much better than the current situation.
Future needs taken into account
Population growth has been clearly estimated in the DPR. Sitarganj, which had a population of more than 31 thousand in the 2011 census, is estimated to have a population of more than 42 thousand by 2027, more than 53 thousand by 2042, and more than 64 thousand by 2057. In such a situation, the water demand will also increase from 7.89 MLD in 2027 to 11.62 MLD in 2057. Old and unusable structures will be removed and new structures with greater capacity will be built at the same place.
Cost and implementation status
The entire project is estimated to cost approximately Rs 80.90 crore, which also includes five years of operation and maintenance. The good news is that land related no-objection certificates have already been received from the district administration, water institute and other departments for the proposed tube wells and overhead tanks, due to which there is no possibility of major hindrance in the work.
Project Manager Kuldeep Singh said that construction work will be started in about five months to bring the drinking water scheme on the ground. He said that after the completion of the scheme, the people of Sitarganj will get permanent relief from the problems they are currently facing regarding drinking water and regular and adequate water supply will be ensured in the city.
Also read- Mafia attacked the team that went to stop illegal mining in Sitarganj, rescued the tractor-trolley
Also read- Uttarakhand News: Scooty riding woman dies in collision with truck in Sitarganj