Uttarakhand Home Secretary reviews drinking water projects in Udham Singh Nagar

Uttarakhand Home Secretary Shailesh Bagauli conducted a detailed review of drinking water schemes in the Rudrapur and Gadarpur development blocks during his tour of Udham Singh Nagar district, according to an official release issued on Sunday.

During the visit, Secretary Bagauli evaluated the progress, quality, and operational status of the ongoing drinking water projects, focusing on functional household tap connections (FHTCs) and the overall effectiveness of the supply systems in the area.

At Danpur Ekal Gram Drinking Water Scheme, he inspected a 300 mm diameter, 210-meter-deep tube well with a 500 LPM capacity and a 100 KL vertical reservoir with a 17-meter staging. The quality of the infrastructure was found to be excellent. The scheme has successfully provided FHTC connections to 314 households. A random survey of five houses was conducted on the spot to assess supply timing, pressure, and water quality, which was found to be satisfactory.

He also evaluated the Raipur Ekal Gram Drinking Water Scheme, which includes a 300 mm diameter, 200-meter-deep tube well with 700 LPM capacity and a 150 KL reservoir with 20-meter staging. This project has provided connections to 532 families. However, some residents raised concerns about pipeline leakage. Acting promptly, the Executive Engineer was instructed to inspect and fix the leakage immediately and submit a compliance report to the headquarters within a week.

In Sarovarnagar Bahul Gram Drinking Water Scheme, a 300 mm diameter, 193-meter-deep tube well with a 500 LPM capacity and a 100 KL vertical reservoir of 17-meter staging was reviewed. The infrastructure quality was again found to be high, with 521 families receiving FHTC connections. However, it was noted that 25 families had declined the connections. In response, Secretary Bagauli directed that “special efforts should be made to provide connections to these families, and the work should be completed within a month.”

Reviewing the AMRUT-I scheme, he pointed out that many households in two identified zones were yet to opt for piped water connections. He instructed the Executive Engineer to work with the Municipal Commissioner to conduct an awareness campaign to highlight the benefits of piped water. “Regular water quality testing should be done and the general public should be informed about the cleanliness, continuity and health utility of the piped water supply as compared to hand pumps,” he added.

Expressing concern over delays, Secretary Bagauli said, “A clear action plan should be prepared and a time-bound program should be sent to the headquarters within a week,” in reference to pending works under AMRUT-I.

He also inspected the 25 KLD capacity Faecal Sludge Treatment Plant (FSTP) in Rudrapur, where 10 to 12 sludge tankers are being treated daily. The treatment quality was found satisfactory. He directed officials to estimate daily sludge generation based on population and septic tank emptying frequency and compare it with the actual inflow to the plant. If discrepancies are found, he said, “a practical action plan should be made to remove it.”