Hamirpur, June 6
Residents of Hamirpur town have been getting unfiltered and yellow drinking water these days, considered unfit for human consumption. The water is being lifted from the Beas and filtered temporarily in the filter beds of the old water supply scheme for the National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, as the filter tank for the town’s scheme is under construction.
A sum of Rs 12.10 crores had been spent on the so-called augmentation of the town’s water supply scheme. It took more than three-and-a-half years for the completion of the scheme. It was dedicated to the people of the town on December 18, 2002, by the then Chief Minister, Mr Prem Kumar Dhumal.
The scheme will benefit nearly 33,000 residents of the town and the adjoining villages of Anoo Kalan, Ghanal, Ghanal Kalan, and Ghanal Khurd, Shashter, Daroohi, Matahni and Khala. This scheme has been designed to serve the population of the area till 2033.
As per the official specifications, residents of the urban areas will get 150 litres of water per day. It will be 45 litres per day for school and college-going children and 75 litres per day for residents of the seven adjoining villages.
Although Mr R M Sharma, Superintending Engineer, IPH Department, clarified that this scheme was dedicated to the people as per demands of the then rulers of the state on December 18, 2002, even though it was not fully complete by then. However, the press statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Health on December 18, 2002, clearly states that this scheme was implemented fully in a time-bound manner and completed at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
However, sources in the department say that the work on construction of the filter tank at Longni Mathan, the source of the water supply scheme from the Beas, is in progress and may take six months more for completion. This correspondent verified this during a visit to the pump house site.
The IPH officer claimed that the water supplied in the town is fit for human consumption as per samples tested in the laboratories.
