Hooghly level goes down, Mayor Firhad Hakim appeals to stop water wastage
Times of India | 30 April 2024
KOLKATA: In the wake of a growing demand for filtered water and a dip in water level in the Hooghly, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) on Monday flagged concern of an imminent water scarcity in some pockets of the city if wastage is not stopped immediately. Mayor Firhad Hakim on Monday appealed to the citizens to refrain from wasting filtered water since that would invariably lead to a shortage in near future.
"We have noticed that in several neighbourhoods, people waste filtered water by keeping the roadside tap open or letting the overhead tank overflow. If such colossal wastage of water continues, it will adversely affect the water distribution network. People in large parts will suffer from an acute crisis," said Hakim.
According to a KMC water supply department official, the withdrawal of raw water at the intake jetty in Palta waterworks has taken a hit due to a dip in the water level in the Hooghly. "In a cycle of 14 days, we are getting sufficient supply on eight days only, while the withdrawal dips significantly on the rest of the days. This has created a panic. We have been trying our best to keep an optimum production of water at the Palta water treatment plant that supplies to major parts of the city," said the official.
Similarly, the KMC water supply department officials are worried over a dip in production at the Garden Reach water treatment plant, which supplies filtered water to large parts of south Kolkata.
In response to the growing need for drinking water in Kolkata's added areas, especially in parts of Behala and the Tollygunge-Jadavpur belt, the KMC water supply department has started supplying 200 tankers to several neighbourhoods in the Tollygunge belt, areas off EM Bypass and several areas in Behala where residents still depend on groundwater. The scorching heat has led to a spike in the demand for potable water, particularly in areas traditionally reliant on tube wells, now referred to as 'tube well zones'.
Officials from the KMC water supply department have been instructed to ensure that a fleet of tankers is ready for immediate deployment. This measure is aimed at addressing the water scarcity in these 'dry' neighbourhoods.
The areas that are experiencing severe water shortage include Ramgarh, Vidyasagar Pally, Naktala, Arabindanagar and Patuli, all of which are a part of the Tollygunge-Jadavpur belt. In Behala, the KMC water supply department is keeping a focus on areas such as Parnasree, Shakuntala Park, Sarsuna and Raibahadur Road, among other areas.