Gangtok: Water supply will be provided only once a day in the service area of the state capital in view of acute water shortage at various resource points due to lack of winter rainfall, a senior official said on Wednesday.He said engineers from the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) were conducting trial runs to regulate water supply in different areas of the state capital and once the mechanism was finalized, it would be operational.“Due to acute scarcity of natural resources, we will supply water in our service areas in Gangtok and only once during the day,” PHED Minister Sailendra Sharma told reporters here.He said that drinking water is the basis of life and domestic water must be given priority and therefore, commercial establishments must reduce their activities slightly during this critical period.With months of lack of rainfall depleting natural resources and leading to widespread water shortages, wastage must be reduced as continued drought conditions may lead to severe shortages in the coming months.He said given the current situation, all households should take steps to avoid wastage and consider installing float valves to ensure that if a tank overflows due to a higher pressure differential, there is a fair flow to a house with lower pressure.Sharma warned that any waste discovered could trigger strict action.“Together, through responsible use and collective efforts, we can protect this most important resource and ensure every family has equitable access,” PHED officials said.It is worth mentioning that Gangtok has been facing a water crisis for some time due to unprecedented lack of rainfall since November last year.Under the guidance of Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, an ADB-financed project to draw water from alternative sources is in an advanced stage of completion.
