Reservoirs fail to meet Chhattisgarh industries' requirement

Water stored in reservoirs runs dry quickly; state refuses access to river water, which has been set aside for drinking and irrigation purposes

Recently, a power plant located near Chhattisgarh’s capital city had reportedly stopped production, as the unit had no water to keep the faciilty running.

The state government has made it mandatory for industries to build reservoir and stock water for over a month, in order to meet the requirement during summer and in drought-like situations. In such a condition, the state government would not provide water for industrial use, and would give priority to drinking and irrigation purposes instead.

The company, wbose name had been withheld as its officials refused to go on record, had indeed constructed the reservoir. But the water it stored could not last more than 15 days under any circumstances. Since the government had stopped supplying water, the management was left with no option but to stop production.

Similarly, a group of small industrialists set up a reservoir in Siltara industrial area. “Following slowdown, most of the units in Siltara are running at half capacity,” said a Siltara Industrial Association spokesperson. Had the units been running at full production, the reservoir would have dried in a week, he added.

Sensing that a reservoir was not a solution to the water crisis, majority of industries in Chhattisgarh’s industrial hub of Korba and Raigarh have hesitated to construct one and store water for emergency. The scarcity has compelled the water resources department to supply water from Hasdeo and Kelo rivers to the industries in both the districts, despite Chhattisgarh being hit by a debilitating drought in which 117 of the 150 tehsils had been declared hit.  

The state’s water resources minister, Brijmohan Agrawal, did not respond to queries on why action was not taken against industries for failing to build a reservoir and how they continued to get water from the river despite the drought.

Interestingly, the department is supplying water to industries in Korba and Raigarh, while imposed a ban in Raipur and other parts of the state.