University of Rajasthan Parched?

University of Rajasthan, the institution from where future leaders of the state flow out, has been left high and dry. It is incapable of providing the basic necessity of life – water – to its students, professors and staff.

The university, which uses only groundwater to quench the thirst of several departments, colleges, living quarters, and hostels, is set to run dry in the next few years, according to the varsity’s administrative officials. According to sources, the groundwater level has gone down to 300 feet, and is depleting every day. 

The institution has about 14 tube wells dug across the university campus in addition to 11 tube wells around its five colleges.

“The tube wells are in a dilapidated state. We are expecting water supply to last about three to four years. We are, thus, in talks with Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) for supply from Bisalpur dam. They have agreed to provide water at three places – Commerce College, Rajasthan College, and main University Campus, for which they have demanded a sharing cost of Rs 20 crore. Remaining cost of setting up the pipelines and connectivity will also be borne by us. We need to control the misuse of water,” said RK Kothari, vice-chancellor, University of Rajasthan. The university currently supplies as much as 15 lakh litres of water across five colleges, university campus, 272 quarters, and several hostels everyday. The water is supplied two to three times a day during the morning and evening hours.

“Each area has a tank of one lakh litre which gets filled everyday. The supply goes on till the tank gets empty. However, certain areas have tanks of 50,000 litres. Those areas get supply three times a day,” Sharma said. He further explained that the current diameter of the tube well is 8 inches, while the law does not permit digging tube well with diameters more than 6 inches now. “Digging tube wells with six inch diameter is not enough for the consumption. PHED is constituting a plan in this regard,” Sharma added.

WHY THE PROBLEM

The university campus has only had one source of fresh water since its inception - the groundwater. The water is being used not only for human consumption but also for maintaining the grounds and gardens around the campus. “The number of people using the water has also increased over the period. The water is also used for the lawns, nurseries, and hostels. The area is a dark zone in terms of the groundwater. So, the levels of the entire belt have gone down significantly,” said Satish Sharma.

Alternative solutions

The only alternative solution left with the institution is to get a connection from PHED. The officials believe that as ground water runs out, Bisalpur dam seems the best escape route. “The treated water from the Bisalpur dam is the only way out in the long run. It is difficult to get PHED connection because the university requires water in huge quantity. It cannot be met with a single connection. A central reservoir needs to be made, after which the connection can be set up,” Sharma added.

No proper Tracking System

The university does not have a proper tracking system to analyse optimum increase in demand and consumption of the resources.“We have collected the data from a number of users from all departments, hostels, and other units. We calculate the per person usage based on a formula. That is the only way we track the demand,” Sharma said.

Water recharge measures

With about 13 water harvesting systems across RU campus, the institution is well equipped when it comes to saving the essentials. Several water harvesting systems have been set up in college campuses, which are up and running.

Spreading Awareness on the issue

The students and staff are aware about the shortage of water, as the issue is faced by many. “We have set up a separate water tank near the quarters. The tank gets filled with the tube well. This works as a back-up in case of fault in the motors,” said Amita Sharma, principal, University Rajasthan College. The faulty lines, though not many, get fixed by the engineering team within time. “Our drivers go on regular checks as a part of maintenance. If there is any fault or leakage, the issue is fixed immediately,” Sharma said.