Ludhiana: To address public criticism over frequent road digging, the Ludhiana Urban Water and Waste Water Management Ltd has uploaded the complete details of the city’s 24×7 water supply project to the Ludhiana municipal corporation website.The Rs 1,546-crore venture, known as the Ludhiana Bulk Water Supply Scheme under the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project, is backed financially and technically by the World Bank and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Currently, Ludhiana relies entirely on groundwater extracted from nearly 1,200 boreholes across a 2,500 km network, delivering 10 hours of daily supply to 4.9 lakh households. This massive extraction has caused groundwater to recede by one metre annually—dropping over 20 metres in the last 40 years—pushing all 13 districts in the region into a critical “dark zone.”Surface water shift amid contaminationThis rapid depletion has led to the leaching of heavy salts, severely deteriorating underground water quality. A recent study by the department of water supply and sanitation revealed that 14 per cent of samples contained hazardous levels of selenium, and 22% contained excess nitrate. Overall, contamination from selenium, aluminium, uranium, nitrate, and fluoride exceeded World Health Organisation and Bureau of Indian Standards limits, threatening residents with hair loss, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, fluorosis, kidney dysfunction, and cancer.To combat this health crisis, the state govt is prioritising a shift to surface water via the Sidhwan Canal. A massive 580 MLD capacity plant is being developed at Bilga village to treat canal water. The treated water will be pumped across the city using a transmission network connecting to overhead service reservoirs. The system aims to supply continuous water to an estimated population of 40 lakh by 2055. The plan includes rehabilitating 66 existing water tanks and constructing 70 new ones, which officials state are being built only after public approval.Execution delaysA project official admitted that uploading the data online was delayed due to unforeseen reasons. Meanwhile, local residents, including Surjit Singh of BRS Nagar, urged the govt to pause all road-digging activities for two to three months during the impending rainy season to avoid public hardship, whilst requesting clear updates on which areas will be excavated next.Benefits of the projectNo need for domestic pumps: Water tanks built near residential sectors will dramatically increase water pressure, eliminating the need for home motors and reducing household electricity bills.Smart space utilisation: The infrastructure is designed with convenience in mind; the vacant ground space beneath the elevated tanks can be converted into community stores or open-air gyms.Minimal traffic and park disruption: Tank construction will be restricted to just one side of local parks to ensure the remaining green spaces can still be used for walking and playing. Utmost care will also be taken to prevent traffic congestion during construction.Environmental perks: Locating the reservoirs closer to residential areas provides additional ecological and environmental benefits to the surrounding neighbourhoods.
