Chandigarh, Aug. 29 -- Nearly a decade after the Indian and French governments conceived the ambitious 24x7 water supply plan for Chandigarh, the municipal corporation (MC) is mulling scrapping the project. The move comes after the Manimajra pilot project, launched in 2024 as a model for the initiative, ran into hurdles. The UT administration had first signed a memorandum of understanding with Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) in 2016, under which the French agency agreed to support projects in water supply, sanitation, and waste management. The detailed project report (DPR) for the citywide 24x7 water supply scheme was approved by the MC House in December 2019. As per the plan, the Chandigarh Smart City Limited was to execute a pilot in Manimajra, shifting from intermittent supply to continuous round-the-clock supply at a cost of Rs.165 crore. Of this, Rs.74 crore was earmarked for capital works and Rs.91 crore for maintenance over 15 years. However, even after its inauguration by Union minister Amit Shah in August 2024, the pilot failed to deliver the results. "No zone in Manimajra has received uninterrupted high-pressure water supply so far. On the contrary, residents complain of foul-smelling and dirty water, along with malfunctioning water meters. The objective was to improve water services, but the actual quantity of water reaching households has not risen," said a senior MC official. Despite the setbacks, the MC was expected to roll out the pan-city project with a financial outlay of Rs.510 crore, of which Rs.412 crore was to come as a loan from AFD, repayable over 15 years. An additional Rs.98 crore grant was committed by the European Union. The agreement was signed in December 2022, with a plan for phased replacement of nearly 270 km of water pipelines and coverage of 55 district metering areas by 2029. Once completed, Chandigarh was expected to become the first city in India with a 24x7 fresh water supply system. However, officials now warn that the scheme has become financially unviable. "The Rs.412 crore loan was calculated on 2022 costs, but inflation and rising operational expenses are expected to nearly double the outlay by the time work begins. Repayment of the loan would require water tariffs to be nearly doubled, imposing a heavy burden on city residents. The DPR also failed to account for crucial costs, such as road recarpeting, which will run into hundreds of crores if underground pipelines are replaced across the city," said a senior official, privy to the matter, adding that the MC, already struggling financially, cannot take on additional liabilities. "We are proposing that it would be appropriate that in future, only essential works required for the improvement of water supply should be carried out. Also, based on the adverse results seen in Manimajra, the 24x7 pan city water supply project has proven to be completely against the interests of the citizens of Chandigarh. Therefore, we will propose that the project be stopped with immediate effect," the official said. The civic body officials have already drafted the proposal to request the Centre to stop the project. However, despite that, the agenda was not tabled in the General House meeting of the MC on August 26 (Tuesday). "Deliberations were made till last-minute to table the agenda in the House, but the senior party leadership wanted to consult the high-command before taking any decision. The local political leaders, irrespective of party lines, share the sameopinion that the financial burden should not be shifted onto the city residents," said a senior BJP leader, on condition ofanonymity. The BJP leader further said, "Earlier, water supply was provided thrice a day, but the then commissioner decided to cut this down to two times, citing that people do not require more water and it will result in leakages. The project was initiated after a survey from only 2,000 city residents, but if more people were surveyed, not everyone would opt for round-the-clock water supply, especially at hiked rates. People would be satisfied if the current system is improved." As per MC officials, the Chandigarh administration can only push for the proposal but the final decision will be taken by the Centre as the ambitious project also holds diplomatic significance between the two countries. Chandigarh shares historic ties with France through its planning and architecture, most notably shaped by renowned French architect Le Corbusier. City mayor Harpreet Kaur Babla refused to comment on the matter....