Chandigarh Mc Plans 21 Crore Canal Water Supply Project

With groundwater levels under stress, the Municipal Corporation is moving ahead with a ₹21.44 crore canal water supply project to improve potable water access across densely populated colonies and industrial pockets in wards 7, 8 and 9. The ward 7 covers Ambedkar Colony, Charan Singh Colony and Vikas Nagar. Similarly, Mauli Jagran, Raipur Kalan, Makhan Majra and Raipur Khurd fall under ward 8. Ward 9 includes Industrial Area Phase I, Sanjay Colony, Colony No. 4, and Daria.The proposal, to be placed before the General House on Monday, seeks to lay water pipelines from the Sector 32 waterworks to colonies currently dependent on tubewells. Civic officials have flagged that any disruption in tubewell operations leads to widespread supply issues in these areas, underlining the urgency of the project.The project assumes significance as Chandigarh continues to rely heavily on groundwater despite decades of planning to shift to canal-based supply. Recent data shows that the city still operates over 200 tubewells supplying nearly 17 million gallons per day, particularly to colonies and peripheral areas, even as canal water remains the primary source.Officials admit that this dual system is increasingly unsustainable. Studies have consistently warned that groundwater extraction in Chandigarh exceeds natural recharge, leading to a steady decline in water tables. The proposed pipeline from Sector 32 is expected to provide direct access to treated canal water, improving both reliability and quality.Infra stressEarlier this year, pipeline replacement work affecting Sector 32 and adjoining areas led to supply interruptions across multiple sectors, highlighting the fragility of existing infrastructure. Concerns over ageing pipelines and uneven distribution have already been raised.Chandigarh’s water strategy has long aimed to phase out tubewells and shift fully to canal water. However, the scrapping of the 24×7 water supply project has slowed that transition.Other agenda itemsA revamp of Leisure Valley in Sector 10, with a projected cost of ₹2.34 crore under the landscaping head, is on the cards.Officials will also seek House nod for the auction of 22 fire and rescue vehicles, which have completed their mandatory operational lifespan of 15 years and have been declared unfit for service by the Chandigarh Transport Undertaking (CTU).Among the proposals is an invitation for expressions of interest from agencies, NGOs and other organisations for sponsorship-based organisation of two events — 39th Chrysanthemum Show (December 2026) and the 55th Rose Festival (February–March 2027). ₹22-crore sewer overhaul planThe civic body has proposed a combined sewer rehabilitation plan worth over ₹22 crore to address severe deterioration of two critical trunk sewer lines serving major residential and peripheral areas of the city.The proposals, to be placed before the House for approval under the Capital Head: Sewerage/STP, include a ₹13.36 crore project for the 36-inch main trunk sewer line from the airport light point to the STP gate in Raipur Khurd, and a ₹8.59 crore project for the Sector 42–39 trunk sewer line.Both projects aim to tackle chronic sewer overflow, repeated blockages and structural failure risks by adopting machine wound spiral lining (MWSL), a trenchless rehabilitation technology designed to restore old sewer infrastructure without road cutting or large-scale excavation.Officials stated that the sewer network in both stretches has severely deteriorated in nearly four decades.The airport light point–STP gate line carries wastewater from multiple pockets, including Hallomajra, Behlana, Deep Complex and Raipur Khurd, before discharging into the STP at Raipur Khurd. The Sector 42–39 trunk line serves Sectors 39, 40, 41 and 42, along with adjoining residential areas.According to the proposals, repeated monsoon damage and patchwork repairs have failed to provide long-term stability. In several stretches, the sewer lines pass beneath roads and green belts, making conventional excavation-based repair methods highly disruptive and impractical.To address these challenges, the plan to use trenchless rehabilitation technology using MWSL includes desilting with super sucker machines, CCTV-based structural inspection, bypass pumping arrangements, internal spiral structural lining, and post-rehabilitation CCTV verification to ensure quality compliance.The MC maintained that the combined intervention is essential to prevent systemic collapse of ageing sewer infrastructure and ensure uninterrupted wastewater management across key parts of Chandigarh.The proposals will now be taken up by the MC General House for approval. UT administrator Gulab Chand Kataria will address the House on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Saturday.