Walled City reels under water crisis as summer nears peak

Jaipur: The Walled City residents are already grappling with severe water shortage even before summer season has reached its peak. Locals have reported that despite a scheduled one-hour water supply window, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) was cutting down the supply by 10 -15 minutes. The water pressure is so low that households are unable to collect sufficient water for daily use.

Councillor Lalita Jaiswal of Ward 72 highlighted the recurring issue, stating, "Summer has just started, and the water crisis has already surfaced, just like every year. The department continues to ration water supply without providing any real solution. Although the supply is supposed to run from 11am to 12pm, it often starts late and stops promptly at noon. Further, the pressure is so low that people struggle to fill even basic containers."

Arvind Mehti, councillor from Ward 71, echoed these concerns. "Every year, we face the same water issues, and the department's negligence has become routine. Despite repeated complaints, no permanent solution has been implemented," he said.

Responding to the allegations, PHED executive engineer Sanjay Sharma clarified, "There is no deliberate reduction in the water supply timing. The real problem lies in the severely depleted groundwater levels, which impacts the pressure even when the supply is fully open." Sharma added that the department is planning to extend the water supply hours over the next 10-12 days and arrange for water tankers to be deployed in May to ease the situation, particularly for those living in the Walled City.

Residents have urged the authorities to find a permanent solution before the peak summer sets in to prevent the crisis from worsening and to ensure that people's basic needs are met.