VARANASI: The soaring mercury (over 37 degree Celsius) in mid-March in the city clearly indicates the heating intensity of summer in the coming months of May and June when water will be the most precious thing.
Though, the city currently faces a shortfall in supply of drinking water, the authorities of Varanasi Jal Sansthan-- the agency responsible for water supply-- are confident about proper water supply during the hot summer. According to a report on status of groundwater quality of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a shortfall of 10 MLD drinking water exists in Varanasi and the trans-Varuna area is facing acute shortage of potable water.
General manager of Jal Sansthan AK Jaiswal claimed the department had taken all necessary measures to maintain proper water supply in the city during summers. He, however, admitted that there was a shortfall in water supply. "But, after the completion of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the city will have adequate potable water," he told TOI on Monday.
Varanasi falls in the subtropical region and its climate is classified as tropical to subtropical type, characterised by hot summer and severe winter. The summer starts from April and extends up to the middle of June. March is a transitional period while May and June are the hottest months of the year. The climate of Varanasi is more or less dry.
The water supply system was introduced in Varanasi a century ago in 1892. With increase in population and water demand, capacities were increased from time to time in stages along with reorganisation and extension of distribution system. According to the JNNURM report, total production of clear water is 280 million-litre per day (mld) and total requirement based on 150 litres per capita per day (lpcd) supply rate is 207mld, which is quite higher than the requirement. Presently, the average per capita water production is approximately 275 lpcd. But, as noted in a report on the state of the environment for Varanasi by the CPCB, there is acute shortage of water because the distribution system is not well developed. Findings from the CPCB report indicate that supply of water is only 60 lpcd in the trans-Varuna area, which is on very lower side of the norms.
The CPCB report says water is being supplied at the rate of 171 litres per capita per day only against the demand of 200 lpcd. As per the requirement of 200 lpcd, 280 MLD of potable water is to be supplied. Present storage available is 79.8 ML, which is only 57 per cent of the daily demand of 280 ML in two fillings. The present storage capacity is insufficient to take care of the present as well as the future demand of the city.
The surface water supply is not adequate to meet this increased demand. The drinking water supply is drawn from surface and groundwater. The city is divided into two parts, cis-Varuna area and the trans-Varuna area. The cis-Varuna area has a mixed supply of water from both surface and ground water, whereas in trans-Varuna area, the water supply is exclusively from groundwater. The source of surface water is the Ganga. Deep tubewells, handpumps and private bore wells are the main sources for extraction of groundwater in the city to cater to the water demand of the population. The depth of ground water varies from 3.02.to 15.25-m in various parts of the city.
The population of Varanasi city and in particular of trans-Varuna area is mostly dependent on the groundwater for its domestic use. According to CPCB report, both the government and public have to depend on groundwater source. This over dependency has although not created any problem at present in groundwater table, in future the consequences may be serious.
To solve of the problem, there is a drinking water project of Rs 8610 lakh under JNNURM and the officials are expecting to complete the project in the next 18 months.
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