Srinagar, Sep 22: The government has attributed the intermittent disruption in drinking water supply to Basant Bagh, Mandir Bagh, Ganpatyar, Dal Hassan Yaar and adjoining areas to fluctuations in raw water availability and treatment constraints at the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) Rangil.
In its response, the government said the areas fall at tail-end of the distribution network of WSS Rangil and have been affected by interruptions in raw water supply during the past few months.
As per the government, successive cloudburst events led to a sharp rise in turbidity levels in raw water, at times exceeding the permissible treatment capacity of the existing filtration facilities.
The government stated that incidents of drowning necessitated frequent stoppages of water supply through Sindh Extension Canal and Sindh Power Canal to facilitate recovery and safety operations.
These stoppages temporarily affected the availability of raw water to WTP Rangil, consequently impacting drinking water supply, particularly in tail-end areas.
It said that even after restoration of supply, air entrapment in the distribution network results in reduced residual pressure. The network generally takes around three to four days to stabilise and regain the required pressure, causing further temporary constraints in water supply.
As an immediate relief measure, the government said water tankers were deployed to provide potable water to the affected population during such disruptions.
For a long-term solution, two new Water Treatment Plants are currently under construction at Rangil with a cumulative treatment capacity of 10.50 MGD. The plants are expected to be commissioned by the end of the current year.
The government said the new facilities will substantially augment the availability of treated water and are expected to significantly improve the continuity of drinking water supply in the affected areas.
