news details |
|
|
| HE deptt unable to revitalize old, worn out water pipelines | | Water woes of Jammu city | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Sept 25: 60 percent water supplying pipes of Public Health Engineering Department are old and worn out which need immediate replacement but the same is being ignored by the government for the reasons best known to them.
PHE officials maintain that average life of PHE pipe is 30 years and must be replaced after this period. However, they said that most of the water pipelines in Jammu urban are 60 year old with some of them belonging to the era of late Maharaja Hari Singh. Pipelines supplying water to the localities of Mubarak Mandi, Karan Nagar, Pacci Dakki, Jullaka Mohalla, Lakhdata Bazar, Kanak Mandi and some other areas were laid down during Maharaja Hari Singh's regime.
Officials informed that most of these are yet to be replaced. Some other pipelines from Company Bagh to Parade were laid down in early fifties. The tube wells bearing specific PHE numbers from 1 to 8 were also dug out during the same period. Complaints of pipelines supplying dirty drinking water have been received from these areas, said an official of PHE seeking anonymity.
They added that PHE pipeline distribution network is spread to around 170 square kilometers of which 60 percent pipelines are in dilapidated condition. Officials further said that a few old and worn out pipelines are now being replaced by Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA).
They added that ERA has planned to replace pipelines in Old city and Gandhi Nagar area. "ERA has a project of about Rs. 16 crore for Old city and Rs. 7 crore for Gandhi Nagar area for replacing the old pipelines," said a senior official. However, he did say that it is very difficult to replace old pipelines due to the fact that these have got buried under the constructions that have taken place in the recent years.
He stressed that to redress this issue, ERA laid down alternate pipes. Dhounthly Filtration plant was a lone supplier of water to entire old city during Maharaja Hari Singh's regime when the population of Jammu urban was around 40 thousand. A few months back, ERA laid down alternate rising main pipes from Company Bagh to Parade, Raj Pura to Central Pumping Station Medical, Boria to Narwal and Narwal to Karyani.
Official sources further informed that pipeline in Mohallah Darugirah near Kanak Mandi and Mohallah Partap Garh is also being replaced by ERA. Officials further added that ERA is replacing pipelines and taking care of the maintenance work. They said that ERA has Rs. 229 crore project in hand to replace the old and worn out pipes.
Regarding the make of pipes, officials said that in the past, Cast Iron pipes were used for supplying water which were later replaced by Galvanized Iron coated pipes. Now the PHE department is using Ductile Iron coated pipes which are very safe and are leakage proof. By using these Ductile Iron coated pipes, officials in PHE department claim that they have been able to halt the leakage of water.
An official of PHE department said that ERA plans to stabilize supply of water across the city besides controlling the leakage of water from the pipelines. He maintained that PHE department has no plan to completely overhaul the pipelines laid across Jammu city.
A resident of Mohallah Pacca Danga Monika Jindriah said that inability of the PHE department to replace the worn out pipes has resulted in supply of dirty water to residential areas of old city. The water is so dirty that sometimes its pungent smell detracts one who intends to drink this water. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
STOCK UPDATE |
|
|
 |
| BSE
Sensex |
 |
| NSE
Nifty |
|
|
| |
CRICKET UPDATE |
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
