The water filtration process being carried out at Alesteng filtration plant, which supplies drinking water to majority areas of the summer capital Srinagar, is “useless” and could lead to outbreak of diseases owing to the “compromised” water quality, an official report has warned.
The Alesteng filtration plant with Sindh extension channel its source supplies drinking water to most of Srinagar areas including Gulab Bagh, Ahmednagar, Buchpora, Soura, Nowshera, Zadibal, Zoonimar, Saidapora, Narwara, Eidgah, Nawakadal, Safakadal, Guzarbal, Aalikadal, Maharaj Gunj, Hawal, Lalbazar, Habak, Zakura and areas.
An official team of Jal Shakti department’s monitoring wing has sounded the cautions about the filtration process. “It is very pathetic that a portion of raw water is directly fed into service reservoir thereby rendering whole filtration process useless,” said an official.
The report of the 6.8MGD million gallons filtration plant reads that as per the condition of filter beds the rate of filtration seems to be “very slow,” adding a major portion of water is being fed to service reservoir through bypass system, which clearly indicates that quality of water is compromised.
The report states two filter houses of 4.8MGD and two MGD were not working efficiently as mud has got accumulated over its parts, resulting into its choking, which thereby disallows mandatory “backwashing”.
Besides, it mentions, the pump for lifting water to back wash tank was not working “efficiently” due to which it takes nearly hours to fill the tank, creating lapses in the backwashing process. The team has also found leakage in 1.8MGD storage reservoir, resulting into water loss.
The report mentions that staff deputed at the filtration plant was “not well aware” of the function of the plant. Besides, it states that staff of water testing laboratory at the filtration plant remain absent from their duties.