Indore: The on-going illegal sand mining at Jalud has sent ripples through Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) as it fears that the mining may cave in its pumping station resulting in major water crisis in the city.
“The illegal sand mining has reached near electricity grid at our pumping station at Jalud. If mining is not stopped immediately, the gird may collapse any day,” said Balram Verma, water works incharge at the IMC.
He further said that if the gird collapsed then the city may have to remain without water for nearly 15 days as that much time would be required to install a new grid again.
Verma stated that the mining had been going on for the past many months and they have complained about the same to the Khargone district administration but to no avail.
In June, we wrote to Khargone collector informing him about illegal sand mining near the intake-well. But no steps were taken by the administration to stop it. Now the electricity grid that supplies power to pumping station is in danger of caving in.
Narmada River is the main source of water to the city. Nealry 450 MLD water (though total capacity is of 540 MLD) is supplied to the city via Jalud pumping station and 30 MLD is supplied through Yashwant Sagar.
If the Jalud pumping station stopped functioning, the city would face water crisis like never before. Illegal sand mining on the banks of Narmada has been a political issue during the elections.
It was expected that the Congress which made it a poll plank would take serious steps to check illegal sand mining but the Jalud case reveals that no steps have been taken in that direction.
