Manimajra gets intermittent, muddy water despite Chandigarh civic body’s 24×7 supply claims

Sanjeev Gaba, a Manimajra resident, said the concern has worsened since the project’s launch. “The 24-hour h2o program has been forced connected america and has nary applicable significance. We person been dealing with issues similar nary 24-hour h2o supply, precocious h2o bills, and soiled water,” helium said.

In Govindpura, the occupation is adjacent much severe. “There has been nary h2o for the past 2 days, and the contented of muddy h2o has persisted since the scheme’s inauguration,” Gaba added.

It has been implicit six months since Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated this task connected August 5. The project, which aims to supply round-the-clock pressurised h2o to each household, has travel astatine a steep cost. The Manimajra aviator task unsocial has outgo Rs 162.06 crore, portion the citywide rollout is expected to scope Rs 591.57 crore.

Chandigarh has secured a Rs 412-crore indebtedness from the French government’s Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and a Rs 98-crore assistance from the European Union (EU) to money the initiative. However, concerns are increasing implicit indebtedness repayment—approximately 1 cardinal euros each 4th for the adjacent 15 years—with fears that the load volition yet beryllium passed connected to residents done higher h2o tariffs.

Gursewak Singh, caput of the Manimajra Resident Welfare Association, questioned the request for the project. “The existent h2o proviso is capable for our needs. We bash not necessitate 24×7 water, and accrued tariffs volition lone adhd to our fiscal stress,” helium said. He besides raised concerns astir imaginable wastage from leaks oregon breached taps, which could further strain households financially and mentally.

Geetansh Sharma, different Manimajra resident, echoed akin views. “The authorities should absorption connected different pressing improvement issues here. The existing h2o proviso is adequate, and this task seems unnecessary,” helium said.

Despite claims of completion successful immoderate areas, residents accidental the promised round-the-clock h2o proviso remains elusive. “We were assured 24×7 water, but each we person seen is simply a flimsy summation successful proviso timings. The task has outgo crores, but the benefits are not reaching america arsenic promised,” said a resident.

The project’s execution has besides drawn criticism. Gursewak Singh noted a deficiency of supervision during construction, saying, “I person seen nary officers overseeing the labour. Workers often dug deeper than required, causing unnecessary damage.” He besides pointed to mediocre discarded management, with operation debris inactive lying unattended on roads. “The roads person not been repaired aft the pipeline work, making it a nightmare to unrecorded present for the past fewer years,” helium added.

Despite these concerns, the authorities maintains that the task is important for the city’s semipermanent sustainability. It aims to trim non-revenue h2o (NRW) losses, which presently relationship for 30-35 per cent of the full supply. By replacing 270 km of ageing pipelines and implementing precocious technologies similar SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and astute metering, the metropolis hopes to execute 100 per cent h2o complaint betterment and little per capita h2o consumption.

However, fiscal concerns stay a large sticking point. Residents interest that installing astute meters, intended to curb h2o losses, volition pb to higher bills, particularly successful undetected leaks. “The outgo of leakage and inefficiencies should not beryllium passed connected to consumers,” Gursewak Singh said.