Jaipur Activates Water Contingency Plan Early Amid Record March Heat
The Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) in Jaipur has taken the unusual step of activating its water supply contingency plan earlier than scheduled this year. This decision comes in response to the city recording abnormally high temperatures during the month of March, which has led to an increased demand for water resources.
Immediate Implementation and Increased Supply
Supply wing officials began implementing the contingency plan across all Jaipur divisions starting Wednesday, based on localized demand assessments. Simultaneously, the project wing has ramped up water supply from the Bisalpur Dam to meet the growing needs of the city's residents.
"To cope with the demand, we have started partial implementation of the contingency plan from Wednesday itself. As the project wing increased the Bisalpur supply, we have also increased the supply to households as per the demands," explained a PHED engineer involved in the operations.
Preparedness with Tanker Services
Authorities have kept water tankers on standby, particularly for last-mile areas of the city that might face supply challenges. Currently, approximately 20 tankers have been allocated across all divisions, with the possibility of increasing this number as demand escalates.
"A slight increase in supply can meet the present demand. But the way the temperature is increasing, we may have to increase the supply significantly from next week and may initiate full-fledged tanker supply by the end of the month. Generally, we consider April to June as the peak season," stated an official familiar with the planning.
Financial Allocation and Anti-Theft Measures
This year, the state government has sanctioned Rs 50 lakh per district specifically for implementing the water contingency plan. In addition to supply management, officials are preparing to launch drives against water theft practices.
Junior engineers and assistant engineers will soon initiate campaigns targeting the unauthorized usage of booster pumps and increased ferrules at households. Engineers have already begun drives against illegal water connections throughout the city to ensure equitable distribution.
Sufficient Water Reserves at Bisalpur Dam
One positive aspect of the current situation is the adequate water availability at Bisalpur Dam. Officials confirmed that sufficient reserves exist to cater to Jaipur's needs during this period of increased demand.
"The only solace is that this time we have sufficient water at Bisalpur Dam to cater to Jaipur. We would increase the Bisalpur supply to Jaipur gradually as and when the demand increases," another PHED official remarked, highlighting the strategic approach to resource management.
The early activation of the contingency plan reflects proactive measures by authorities to address potential water shortages before they become critical, especially as temperatures continue to rise unexpectedly early in the season.
