Jal Sansthan spending Rs 40000 per day to counter water woes in Champawat

Jal Sansthan is spending over Rs 40,000 per day to fetch over 52,000 litres of drinking water in Champawat amid water crisis in Lohaghat, Pithoragarh, Didihat  and Askot towns of the Kumaon region. The water scarcity is a result of meagre rain last winter.  A Jal Sansthan engineer in Champawat said, “The potable water  we are fetching for residents  is costing us Rs 0.74 per litre. It is 10 times costlier as we are using tankers and pick-up vehicles  to bring the water from the natural sources situated  at  a   distance of 18 km.” Pithoragarh District Magistrate HC Semwal has ordered to bring water to the town by tankers and horses as water crisis is deepening.

“At present, we  are fetching drinking water from 10 tankers and  187 handpumps in the  district.  I have given instructions to repair  all defunct handpumps  and leakages  in pipelines in various parts of the   district. Potable water will be made available to the residents at every cost,” said Semwal. Meanwhile, the Kosi barrage’s construction in Almora has brought a big relief to residents as their water woes have vanished since March this year. Navin Bist, a local scribe, said, “The tourist town of Almora, which was the worst sufferer in the Kumaon region in summers, has got a relief this year with the construction of the Kosi barrage.”