Jalandhar: It has not been long since nature has unleashed its fury on parts of Punjab. Over 2.5 lakh people have been severely affected and 2.3 lakh acres of agricultural land has been destroyed and submerged due to swollen rivers and heavy rains. Every day, more devastation is taking place, which is affecting every citizen of the state. Amidst all this, the most worrying issue is contamination of tap water with sewerage, which can lead to diseases and infections in the near future. This problem has been there for quite some time, causing a lot of trouble in everyday life and posing a serious health risk to the common people of Punjab. Moreover, if the drainage and sewerage systems were better managed and excess water was disposed of properly, the situation could have been much better. Some of the possible measures include organizing regular cleaning of the city’s drainage system, maintaining the sewerage network by fixing loose pipes, analyzing the soil stability to ensure the pipes are laid properly, and updating the underground drainage blueprints as needed. In addition, plastic waste and other waste should be disposed of properly in the designated dump yard or recycled, but drains should not be clogged at any cost. Lastly, residents should be encouraged to avoid littering on roads and streets and regularly recycle and reuse all plastic and biodegradable waste.
Replace old water pipelines
In Punjab, along with Jalandhar, many cities fall under the category of “Smart City”. For smart cities across the country, additional funds are released for various development projects. The mayor and staff prepare estimates for various projects under the smart city project and promptly release the funds according to the plans prepared. Underground water pipes were laid in various colonies and localities of the city more than five decades ago. Similarly, sewerage pipes are also laid in the opposite direction of water pipes. Sometimes, during reconstruction or repair, or while adding new connections to water or sewer pipes or sewer chambers, connections are added as per consumer demand with the approval of competent authorities. Sometimes, drinking water gets mixed with contaminated sewer water when consumer’s drinking water pipe passes through sewer chamber or public sewerage chamber. Municipal corporations should prepare a new estimate so that all old drinking water pipelines older than five decades can be replaced with new pipelines. Similarly, an estimate should also be prepared for repairing roads damaged during laying new pipelines. The original life span of drinking water pipeline should be taken seriously, because if the life span of the pipeline is over, there is a possibility of contaminated water getting mixed in the drinking water supply. Earlier, chlorine was used for safe drinking water for residents, which is necessary to protect residents from waterborne diseases during the monsoon season. Avoiding the Hazards of Sewer-Water Mixing
If tap water gets mixed with sewer waste and is given to residents for drinking even inadvertently, there is no more heinous crime against humanity and the culprits are liable to be criminally prosecuted. This lethal mixing can indirectly lead to serious medical and health problems, which should be avoided by strengthening the drainage structure at the source and regular, periodic supervision and maintenance under the control of an Executive Engineer of the local governing body. Drinking water pipes and sewerage lines should not be laid in the same direction and their laying should be clearly indicated through coded signs on the ground. Public grievances on this issue should be taken up on priority basis and resolved in the shortest possible time, with a senior official being held appropriately responsible for it. Above all, a permanent solution needs to be found immediately in areas where the problem is occurring frequently, so that there are no complaints in future.
Municipal wing for water security
Negligence in timely repair and replacement of faulty underground water pipes has led to a serious crisis in many cities. Although safe drinking water should have been a basic civic guarantee, sadly, it is still unattainable in most municipalities. The situation worsens even more during monsoons, when waterlogging leads to sewer water mixing with drinking water, exposing residents to serious health risks. In Smart City Jalandhar, despite repeated complaints and huge sums spent on civic infrastructure maintenance, municipal corporation staff have failed to come up with any permanent solution. As a result, contaminated water continues to flow from taps, leading to water-borne diseases year after year.
