Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurates 24×7 Water Supply project in Manimajra, Chandigarh
The Voice of Chandigarh : Aimed at switching from intermittent supply to 24×7 continuous full pressure water supply system, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah inaugurated the 24×7 Water Supply project in Manimajra, Chandigarh in the presence of Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh and Satnam Singh Sandhu, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha.
Ajay Kumar Bhalla, Union Home Secretary, Tapan Kumar Deka, Special Director, Intelligence Bureau, Rajeev Verma, Adviser to the Administrator, UT, Chandigarh, Ms. Anindita Mitra, Chief Executive Officer, Chandigarh Smart City Ltd., Mrs. Kirron Kher, Former Member Parliament, Chandigarh, Kuljeet Singh Sandhu, Senior Deputy Mayor, Chandigarh and other councilors, senior officers and dignitaries were also present during the inaugural function.
Addressing the citizens at the inauguration ceremony, the Home Minister praised Chandigarh for maintaining its original planned city form and acknowledged the persistent water supply challenges faced by the residents. He highlighted that the 24×7 water supply project, built at a cost of Rs. 75 crores, will greatly benefit the Manimajra area by ensuring continuous water availability with full pressure, even up to the fourth floor. He said that this project has marked a significant milestone in Chandigarh’s journey towards sustainable water management and efficient service delivery to its residents.
He further said that the project’s primary objectives are to switch from intermittent to continuous pressurized water supply, ensuring better water quality, reliability, and effective supply-demand management. This initiative aligns with the service level benchmarks set by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India, including 100% water supply coverage, assured per capita supply of 155 LPCD, 100% metering, and maintaining Non-Revenue Water (NRW) levels between 15-20%.
In his address, the Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT, Chandigarh Gulab Chand Kataria said that residents of Manimajra will highly benefit from this project as the continuous supply system would provide better water quality and households will get better pressure of water sufficient to fill tanks up to forth storey, thus lowering the pumping costs.
He appreciated the Chandigarh Smart City Ltd. for taking various steps to improve the basic upkeep besides ensuring the availability of civic amenities in each sector. He said that public participation is must in understanding the issues, recognizing the areas requiring improvement and evolving strategies for future planning.
Earlier, the UT Adviser Rajeev Verma welcomed the Home Minister and other distinguished Guests in the programme. Lauding the project’s features, the UT Adviser said that the 24×7 Water Supply pilot project, with a CAPEX value of INR 74.56 Crore and an OPEX value of INR 91.29 Crore for 15 years (to be borne by the Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh), aims to transform the existing intermittent water supply into a continuous and pressurized system. This strategic move will enhance water supply efficiency, reduce wastage, and ensure better water resource management.
Ms. Anindita Mitra, CEO, Chandigarh Smart City Ltd. presented vote of thanks to the Union Home Minister and other distinguished guests in the programme. She also expressed gratitude and appreciation to all those who have contributed to complete the 24×7 water supply project at Manimajra.
She said that the project executed by Chandigarh Smart City under the Smart City Mission, the project aims to conserve potable water, minimize wastage, and provide uninterrupted, pressurized water supply to the residents of Manimajra. Key features of the project include:
Installation of 11,727 smart water meters with advanced metering infrastructure, enabling real-time monitoring and analysis of water consumption and leakages.
Completion of the 22 km water supply network, with joint testing and diversion/connection of tube wells to underground reservoirs (UGRs).
Construction, testing, and installation of equipment/machinery for the Underground Reservoir (UGR) and the Water Works III building, with furnishing works.
Implementation of SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) and instrumentation across the water supply infrastructure.
