Jaipur: The Ground water in Bharatpur district is very saline. Due to low rainfall and excessive tapping of water resources, the salinity in water is increasing day by day. The Rupawas, Bharatpur, Kumher, Deeg, Nagar, Kaman and Phadi tehsil in the district are most affected by the problem of saline water.

Since there is no ground water source in the district, the Chambal-Dholpur-Bharatpur large drinking water project has been proposed on the Chambal river flowing in the Dholpur district. This project has been divided into two phases. The State Government had issued the sanction of Rs.166.50 crore as first part of the first phase in 1999, under which sanction had been accorded to lay down pipeline from Chambal river in Dholpur to Mallaha headworks in Bharatpur and for water treatment plant. As the area of Chambal river was protected for 'Ghadiyal Sanctuary', the State Government received sanction from Supreme Court for intake well and pipeline work after great efforts. It is the result of these efforts of the State Government only that the work of transmission pipeline has been completed and drinking water from the Chambal river is being made available to Bharatpur from 25th December, 2011.

Under the second phase of this ambitious project, the State Government has issued administrative and financial sanction of Rs.311.49 crores on April 20, 2012 for laying down transmission main pipeline from Bharatpur to  Kumher, Deeg, Nagar, Kaman and Phadi tehsil and for providing drinking water from Mallaha headworks in Bharatpur to the 97 villages of Bharatpur tehsil worst affected with the problem of saline water. The detailed draft of the proposed works has been prepared and tenders for the sanctioned works have been invited on July 6, 2012. The proposed transmission main pipeline has the capacity to transport drinking water from Chambal river to 599 villages of Kumher, Nagar, Deeg, Kaman and Phadi tehsil and to the population of Kumher, Nagar, Deeg and Kaman cities. This work is targetted to be completed in the period of 30 months. With the completion of the work of pipeline, the Kumher, Deeg, Nagar and Kaman cities would start getting drinking water immediately from Chambal river. The work of preparing detailed draft for development of clusters of villages for distribution of drinking water from Chambal river in the proposed 599 villages has also been started separately.

          Detailed draft proposals have also prepared for providing drinking water from Chambal river to 30 villages in Rupawas tehsil affected with the problem of saline water from the transmission main pipeline of the Chambal-Dholpur-Bharatpur project. The administrative and financial sanction for these proposals would be issued very soon and works be started.

          The ambitious Chambal Dholpur-Bharat large drinking water project has the capacity to cater to the drinking water demand of 5 cities and 945 villages, (year 2001 census) till year 2031. The completion of the project would provide momentum to the pace of development and also resolve the problem of salinity in underground water in the district. The Keoladev Ghana National Park situated in Bharatpur has also started receiving water from the project from October 10th, 2011. About 280 MCFT water has been provided upto February, 2012 and acute water crisis in the bird sanctuary resolved. The bird sanctuary would be provided 62.50 MCFT water every year continously from the project.

          Over 95 villages of Bharatpur tehsil, 2 of Kumher and 30 villages of Rupawas would be benefited under the first part of phase one of the project. Similarly 62 villages of Bharatpur tehsil,   115 of Kumher, 112 of Rupawas, 164 of Nagar, 119 of Deeg, 114 of Kaman and 132 villages of Phadi tehsil would be benefited in the second part of phase one.

Forty year Old Pipeline Changed
 A scheme to provide 10 MLD drinking water per day to the Bharatpur city had been initiated in the year 1970 through laying down RCC Pipeline from Baretha Dam in Bayana situated about 40 kms. from Bharatpur district. With the passage of time severe leakages occured in the pipeline and Bharatpur city had been receiving only 25 to 30 percent water against the total capacity of the pipeline. The State Government issued financial and administrative sanction of Rs.24.08 crore for changing the pipeline into new GR pipeline. This work was completed in April, 2011 and water supply to Bharatpur city has increased by about 7 MLD per day.