Lucknow: A drinking water crisis is looming over the trans-Gomti areas as the water level at Kathauta jheel, which supplies water to over 10 lakh residents of Indiranagar, Gomtinagar, and Chinhat, has dropped from around 15 feet to 8 feet 10 inches. The total demand of the affected areas is 80 million litres daily (MLD). However, the Jalkal department is able to supply only 65 MLD due to the low water level in the lake and tubewells.
Current Water Supply Situation
Officials stated that the major portion of the supply is sourced from the lake. At the current level, supply can be maintained for only about seven more days if fresh water is not released into the reservoir. The irrigation department had suspended water supply from the Sharda canal on May 14 for 30 days to carry out annual cleaning and maintenance work ahead of the Kharif sowing season.
Reduced Supply Hours
To conserve water, the department has reduced supply hours and pressure. Water is currently being supplied from 6 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 10 pm. In normal days, the areas receive a 20-hour supply. Officials warned that any breakdown in tube wells could worsen the situation.
Appeal for Urgent Water Release
Executive engineer of Jalkal, Amrendra Singh, said the department had asked the irrigation department to release water by June 14. “If water is released at full pressure, it will take around two days to reach Kathauta Jheel, while low-pressure release may take up to four days. We cannot afford any more delay,” he said.
Executive engineer of irrigation, Mukesh Kumar Vaish, said the department had not yet received the official communication from Jalkal. “We are making sure that water reaches Kathauta by June 15 so there will be no crisis,” he added.
