Mani Majra: On Day 1, 24x7 water supply a damp squib
Sandeep Rana
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, August 5
A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the 24x7 water supply project in Mani Majra, residents kept waiting for the round-the-clock facility today.
Residents said there was no change in water supply timings. All areas, including Modern Housing Complex (MHC), Gobindpura and Indira Colony, received routine supply did not get even a drop of extra. Only Modern Housing Complex (Duplex) got water supply throughout the day, though the pressure was low.
While Smart City officials said stabilisation would take about few months, residents said there was no such announcement during the event and they should have been apprised about it.
Col Gursewak Singh (retd), president of Residents Welfare Association, MHC, Sector 13 (Mani Majra), said, “We got water supply in the morning and evening as per routine timings. It should be ensured that the promises are implemented on ground. Secondly, residents should not be made to pay for the project. The Centre should fund it because we never asked for round-the-clock supply. We only wanted clean drinking water for couple of hours.”
Sahil Chawar, office secretary, New Indira Colony RWA, said, “It was just a lame promise by the minister. In our colony, we get one-hour water supply each in the morning and evening. Leave alone round-the-clock supply, our repeated complaints of sewage mixing with drinking water made to the SDO concerned have fallen on deaf ears all these years.” Surinder Singh, former Congress Mayor and Gobindpura resident, said, “They have inaugurated the project without full preparations. Even roads, which were dug up for laying pipelines, have not been restored.” Surjit Dhillon, another Gobindpura resident, added that they did not want 24x7 water supply as it might lead to wastage.
KL Aggarwal, president, Modern Housing Complex (Duplex) RWA, Mani Majra, said, “We only received supply at low pressure.”
Never wanted round-the-clock supply
It should be ensured that the promises are implemented on ground. Secondly, residents should not be made to pay for the project. The Centre should fund it because we never asked for round-the-clock supply. We only wanted clean drinking water for couple of hours. —Col Gursewak Singh (retd), President, RWA, Modern Housing Complex
Area councillor Sarbjit Kaur, also a former BJP mayor, said, “It was inauguration of the infrastructure. We assure all residents that in a few months they all will get uninterrupted water supply.”
Anindita Mitra, CEO, Chandigarh Smart City Limited, said, “The major infrastructure for provision of 24x7 water to the entire area of Mani Majra, which includes replacement of 22 km of acutely damaged pipelines, construction of two underground reservoirs of two million gallons each, replacement of pumps with VFD pumps and 11, 5000 meters has been completed.”
“However, some individual households still require to take connections from the pipelines through which full pressure water shall be supplied round the clock. Till all households have taken connection, it was not possible for us to stop the old pipelines. Now, that the major infrastructure is in place, the stabilisation phase shall begin,” she added.
Mitra said, “The entire project area is divided into four zones. It will take Smart City five to seven days to stabilise each zone. Stabilisation includes ensuring that 100% households shift to the new pipelines.”
