At this time of the year sub-soil water levels dry up leaving an acute scarcity of water for the denizens to suffer. In normal times whatever supply infrastructure we have is hard-put to cope with an increasing daily demand of water. In fact, there is a sizable deficit. In the months of March-April it aggravates: the total daily availability figure drops from 175 crore litres to somewhere around 140-150 crore litres. The situation is compounded by the fact that supply of electricity which helps operate the pumps is often snapped on account of load-shedding.

Crisis management ipso facto becomes the water supply authority's pressing concern at this crunch time. Nevertheless, the point that needs to be stressed is: having army guards to keep trouble-makers at bay every year is not the stuff of which a durable solution is made. This is not to overlook though, the efficiency with which the army have been quietly doing a yeoman's job in this area. But for their guarding of the pump houses and delivery of water to slum pockets, many citizens would have been deprived of a life-sustaining service. While that is true and laudatory, let's not be content with seasonal measures; rather, we must redouble our efforts to overcome the crisis on a long-term footing.

Currently, we are reliant on 85 percent groundwater and 15 percent surface water to provide this basic service. There is water on the surface -- in the rivers -- to be treated and made drinkable, let alone the huge rainfall we have every year which could be stored. The perennially unfinished Syedabad Water Treatment Plant sums up our negotiatory inadequacies. After long delays it now awaits a DANIDA board meeting decision. When commissioned, it will yield 22 crore litres of water. A project is contemplated with Chinese help to draw water from the Padma and treat it for use. On materialisation, it would provide us with 50 to 60 crore litres of water. Let's get it on with such a project.