PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Water leakage issues become more prevalent and difficult to manage during the winter season. Informing this, the secretary (Appraisal) at Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Maneesh Semwal said that water supply faces challenges throughout the year—whether in summer, winter or monsoon. “In summer, heightened demand for water affects its availability while in the monsoon landslides and other factors disrupt water supply schemes. The winter too brings its own set of difficulties for us,” he said.
Sharing details, he said that the most notable challenge they face in winter is water leakage mostly visible on the roads. “During the winter months, pipeline contracts due to the cold temperatures while water pressure rises due to lower demand. This combination of pipe contraction and increased pressure causes stress at the joints which directly impacts the pipes and leads to water leaks. This is why residents notice more instances of water leakage on roads and in other areas during the winter months,” said Semwal.
He further said that stopping leakages becomes a challenge for them owing to several factors. “The working hours of officials and employees diminish during the winter months. The cold wave discourages people from working late in the evening or at night,” he said.
He also mentioned the problem of late approval for road cutting works. “The approving authorities feel that digging roads in day time inevitably results in traffic congestion. So such approvals are often delayed and this is what compounds our challenge to fix the water leakage issue promptly,” he said, adding that despite these challenges, they try to complete works in time.
Asked how things are fixed, he said that once the officials or engineers are made aware of the complaints, they first manage the water pressure and then take additional measures to resolve the issue. “The senior officials ensure that these complaints are addressed at the earliest through constant monitoring,” Shemwal declared.
Asked whether the older pipes cause leakages, he nodded and said that they replace the old pipes with new ones promptly once the old pipes are identified as the cause of the leakages.
“We receive complaints and once they are received we start work to resolve them,” he said. He urged residents to reach out for assistance with any water-related issues by calling the toll-free numbers 1800-180-4100 or 1916.
