Ujjain : The intermittent rains that have been showing mercy for past couple of days in the catchment area of Gambhir Dam have provided a little relief to citizens. Gambhir reservoir which is the lifeline of the city was drying up rapidly, thanks to scarce monsoon so far this year. 100 Mc Ft water got increased in the dam.
The intermittent heavy-mild lashing has increased the water level of the dam with 100 Mc Ft in past two days. Gambhir Dam supplies drinking water to areas in the city, but scarce rain and rapid expansion of the city saw water storage levels plummet. Copious rain in the catchment areas of dam has seen water levels rise steadily over the last few weeks. But the signs are far from good as the water level only reached 500.87 Mc Ft on Wednesday against the 386 Mc Ft of Monday, as the dam was overflow this time last year.
While the intermittent rains also rejuvenated river Kshipra as the holy river was seen overflowing both at Ramghat and Triveni. Continuous rains in catchment areas of Fatehabad, Talod, Sanwer, Aerwas, Depalpur, Gautampura helped the water level increase in the dam. As September is also the rainfall months, we expect the water level to go up further, said in charge at Gambhir Dam control room. With the increase of 100 Mc Ft water supply in city has increased for another 20 days, but with the current situation this increase is not enough. Also the there have been 17 inches of seasonal rains against the average of 35 inch this year till Wednesday.
Bell ringing for government agencies to gear up
The overall water supply situation is far from satisfactory level. People living on the first or second floors of their buildings are the worst-hit. The water pressure is low and the duration of water supplying is less. Water supply and storage infrastructure of the city was constructed way back in 1950 when the population of the city was only in thousands. Today it is in multiple units of lakhs. The system is bound to show signs of wear and tear. As much as 95 per cent of water wastage is through leakages. This problem has to be addressed at the basic level, in our houses. People need to be educated about water conservation. As these times monsoon is not a perennially available commodity. Proper utility is a must, said an expert. The depleting water table in the city, despite the immense potential by way of its water resources, is worrisome. Experts warn that if urgent steps are not taken, soon demand will outstrip availability. Hence, urgent measures need to be taken to recharge water resources. As a way forward, PHE must also focus in reviving traditional water resources. Several old hydrants will get a new lease of life with the construction of hand pumps. Soon these hand pumps will become a common feature in the lives of the people.
