Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Scheme (ABWSS)

Background: Like other major cities of India, Amritsar is also facing several urban services delivery challenges which need investments to put in place appropriate assets to meet these challenges. Like other urban infrastructure services in the city, there is ever increasing gap in supply and demand of potable water. Water supply system, as existing, is not adequate to serve the entire population and is entirely dependent on ground water source, which is both environmentally detrimental and faces quality related issues. Amritsar is dependent on groundwater sourced from some 550-600 tube wells servicing through 1800 km networks and delivering to around 2 lakh house connections. The Municipal Corporation Amritsar (MCA) presently provides 08-10 Hrs. of supply to its consumers per day. Due to excessive use of ground water the water level in Amritsar is rapidly declining and between 1984 and 2016, it has depleted by 10 to 15 meters. Therefore, it is the need of the hour to shift from Groundwater to Surface water supply on PAN city basis to stop further depletion of ground water. Thus, with the financing from the World Bank through the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP), the MCA is undertaking the development of Bulk Water treatment Plant, with a proposed capacity of 44 crores Liters per Day at Vallah village, head regulator at Amritsar Design-Build-Operate and Transfer (DBOT) basis. The source of surface water supply proposed for Amritsar city is Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC), which after treatment, would be pumped to the different Over Head Service Reservoirs (OHSR) using a 112 KM complex transmission network covering the entire city. This would further serve to the city residents to maintain a continuous supply of water. Under the project 51 new OHSR are being built in the different parts of the City. Capacity wise these OHSRs are further divided into three categories of 1 million litre, 1.5 million litre and 2 million litre. On an average height of these OHSRs are from 25-30 metre. The infrastructure has been designed to meet the water demand for 30 years. It would benefit the residents of Amritsar with an estimated population of 14.51 lakh by 2025 and 22.11 lakh by 2055.

Project Objectives:

# Replacement of ground water sources with surface water sources.

# Construction of water treatment plant and extension of distribution networks.

# Increase in household piped water connections and metering.

# Improvements in cost recovery and reduction of non-revenue water.

TREATMENT PHILOSOPHY

The water treatment plant (WTP) is designed for a treated water output of 440 MLD (Million Litre per Day) in 24 hours. The hydraulics of the treatment plant is designed in such a way so that water flows by gravity from the cascade aerator to the clear water reservoir and the sludge generated from the clarification system is effectively handled with the sludge treatment units before disposing the dewatered sludge cake as per site conditions.

Flow Scheme and Process Units of WTP:

1. Cascade Aerator: Raw water from the UBDC Canal is pre-settled and then conveyed to the cascade aerator, where it undergoes aeration to reduce iron content and improve taste and odor.

2. Inlet Chamber: Collects aerated water and ensures streamlined flow with a 60-second detention time. Pre-chlorination is done here

3. Inlet Channel with Parshall Flume: Pre-chlorinated water flows through the channel, where alum and lime are dosed for coagulation and alkalinity maintenance.

4. Distribution Chamber: Equips with sluice gates to distribute water to flash mixers.

5.Flash Mixer: Rapid mixing of water with alum and lime to form micro flocs.

6. Drop Chamber: Water enters from flash mixers and is conveyed to solid recirculation clarifiers.

7. Solid Recirculation Clarifier: Combines flocculation and sedimentation, removing suspended matter and turbidity.

8. Clarified Water Channel: Collects clarified water and leads it to the bypass channel.

9. Bypass Channel: Connects the distribution chamber and filter inlet channel, allowing direct filtration bypassing clarifiers during good raw water quality.

10. Filter Inlet Channel: Routes clarified water to rapid gravity dual media filters.

11. Rapid Gravity Filters: Twenty-four filters (22 working, 2 standby) with dual media (sand and Granular Activated Carbon) ensure effective filtration.

12.Filtered Water Channel: Conveys filtered water to the chlorine contact tank.

13. Chlorine Contact Tank: Provides a 30-minute detention time for post-chlorination.

14. Clear Water Reservoir: Stores treated water for distribution.

The plant is designed to efficiently handle the entire water treatment process, ensuring high-quality treated water output and effective sludge management

For more information click on the following link

https://youtu.be/hSXyBHAHqCw
Layout of water treatment plant

FAQs- RELATED TO THE PROJECT

1.What is the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP)?

The Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project (PMSIP) is initiated by the Punjab government in collaboration with the World Bank. Its objective is to efficiently deliver municipal services in a timely manner. The Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Scheme is a part of PMSIP aimed at enhancing the water supply system in Amritsar to make it efficient and robust.

2. Why is the Bulk Water Supply Scheme needed in Amritsar?

The need for Bulk Water Supply Scheme in Amritsar arises due to the rapid depletion of groundwater levels across Punjab. Amritsar has also witnessed a decline in the groundwater level. Between 1984 and 2016, it has depleted by 10 to 15 meters. It is one of the districts in Punjab where groundwater extraction exceeds its natural recharge capacity. The declining water levels not only affect water quality but also pose health risks due to contamination found in many areas. Therefore, considering the impact of falling groundwater levels and its impact on human health, the Punjab government has initiated the Bulk Water Supply Scheme. Under this scheme, the city's water supply source will be shifted from groundwater to surface water (Upper Bari Doab Canal).

3. What is the current water supply system in Amritsar?

Currently, the city's water supply relies heavily on groundwater. Through approximately 500-550 tube wells, the municipal corporation supplies water to around 2 lakh households connections via 1600 kilometres long pipeline network. This supply is provided for 8-10 hours daily intermittently.

4. What is the source of water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) and where will its water be filtered?

The Upper Bari Doab Canal (UBDC) draws its water from the Ravi River. The origin of the UBDC canal is at Sujanpur, located in the Pathankot district, where barrages have been constructed on the Ravi River. To filter the water from the UBDC, a modern water treatment plant is being constructed in a 40-acre area near Valla village. The capacity of this plant is to filter 44 crore liters of water per day. The plant will draw 200 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the flowing UBDC canal. The authorized discharge of the canal is 9000 cusecs

5. What is the role of the Amritsar Municipal Corporation in this project?

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation is the Project Implementation Agency for the PMSIP and is managing the entire project. Additionally, the municipal corporation will also be responsible for the operation and maintenance of the infrastructure being constructed under the project.

6. Who is the Contractor for this project?

The contract for this project has been awarded to Larsen & Toubro Limited

7. What are the social and environmental impacts on the city during the implementation of the project?

During the initial screening of the project sites, it was found that the project overall has no major impact on the social or environmental aspects of the city. From an environmental perspective, some trees are being affected by the pipeline laying. It is necessary to remove them, but for each tree removed under this project, ten more trees are being planted as compensation. During the pipeline laying, it is anticipated that some vendors and ferry operators may be temporarily displaced for a short period (2-3 days), and once the maintenance work is completed within the specified time, they will be returned to their original locations.

8.How will water be supplied through ABWSS Project in Amritsar city?

Under the ABWSS project, water from the UBDC canal will be filtered at the water treatment plant, vallah. Then through 112 km. long transmission line the water will be pumped to the approx 88 OHSRs located at the different-different locations of the city. And then further water will be supplied from OHSRs to the houses connected with the water supply network. All infrastructure created under the ABWSS Project will be monitored through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) System. SCADA is a computer-based system for gathering and analyzing real-time data to monitor and control equipment.

9. If there is any kind of breakage during the laying of pipelines or construction of the OHSRs, such as breakage of gas, water, sewerage line, house ramps, park, etc., then who will compensate or repair?

If any kind of damage occurs during the laying of pipelines or construction of tanks, such as gas leaks, water or sewerage pipe bursts, or damage to ramps, parks, etc., the repair or reconstruction will be carried out by Larsen & Toubro Company. The municipal corporation ensures the prompt and correct repair of any damage on a priority basis.

10.Will the water supply be stopped while laying new pipelines or renovating old OHSRs?

No, water supply will not be interrupted during the laying of new pipelines or the renovation of old OHSRs.

11. How is the debris generated during construction work being disposed of and roads being rebuilt under the project?

The disposal of debris and other construction materials is being carried out at designated sites of MCA to minimize the impact of dust pollution. After laying the pipelines, road restoration will be undertaken by Larsen and Toubro Company. It takes at least 2 to 3 months for the soil to settle down after laying the pipes. If the road is constructed immediately after laying the pipes, the road may deteriorate quickly. Therefore, after laying the pipes, the road is being prepared temporarily, and it will take at least two to three months to reconstruct the road permanently.

12. Who can be contacted regarding any grievance or suggestions?

As per the present Grievance Redressal Mechanism (GRM), the affected person or the complainant can raise the dispute through WhatsApp Chatbot no. 99644-94000/ MCA toll-free number 1800 1802 103, through the ‘Punjab mSewa’ app (available in Android play store & iOS app store) or by visiting the website https://mseva.lgpunjab.gov.in/. These details are already available on the banners displayed at the work sites. Also, the complaint can be registered with the Larsen & Toubro Grievance Redressal Officer directly by calling at 83601-18925.