Press Release from Water Security and PHE Department, Government of Sikkim

Gangtok: The Water Security & PHE Department has been working on war footing to temporarily restore the water supply to Selep Waterworks from Rateychu from the very next day of the devastating earthquake of 18^th September 2011. Since the entire stretch of raw water transmission mains from Rateychu to Selep is severely affected with numerous slides, formation breach and pipe breakages; the department managed to tap water from nearby local source of Bulbuley & Maney khola which was distributed to the consumers once in alternate days from 20^th September itself apart from tanker supply.

The relentless effort of the department has been successful in clearing 7 km stretch of the Rateychu route and the water available from the local sources along the stretch were tapped within a week's time. This has resulted in delivery of water to the treatment plant to 50% of the water demand of Gangtok from the earlier 25%. With the increase in supply of water to the treatment plant at Selep, the department is supplying water one to two hours daily to the consumers of Gangtok Municipal Corporation since 26^th September 2011.

The Departmental Engineers and field work force were engaged in restoration work during the entire period of Pooja vacation. With the support and guidance from the Government and administrators, the departmental effort to clear the remaining stretch of the route to Rateychu has now been successful and the department managed to lay temporary pipelines at damaged stretches and repair the serviceable pipelines right from the water source at Rateychu by 15^th October 2011. The supply of water to the treatment plant has now gone up to 90% of the water requirement for Gangtok.

With improvement in the supply of water to the treatment plant, the department has decided to supply water twice daily as was done during the normal time prior to the earthquake of 18^th September 2011 with effect from 16^th October 2011.

The department has also managed to repair the damaged water distribution pipelines of Gangtok so that the normal flow of water is maintained in the network. Although normal supply of water is maintained in the departmental distribution network, we have been receiving some complaints regarding non-delivery of water to the consumer premises. Our valued consumers are requested to kindly check their pipelines which may have been disjointed due to jolt of the earthquake. It has also been observed that overhead tanks in some of the consumer premises are overflowing with drinking water during supply hours. All such consumers are requested to provide ball valves and other stopping arrangements in overhead tanks to minimise the wastage.

Although, the supply of water to the city of Gangtok has been normalised, the measures adopted is purely temporary. The department shall now concentrate on strengthening the arrangement that has been made to draw water from the source. Minor disruption may take place until the work is completed, for which, the consumers are requested to be cautious to use water judiciously and bear with us for such hitches.