Journal of Global Resources
Volume 4 (02)
July 2018
ISSN: 2395-3160 (Print), 2455-2445 (Online)

Page 62-70

09
QUALITY ASSESSMENT AND MEASURES FOR DRINKING WATER RESOURCES - A
CASE STUDY OF UDAIPUR CITY
Purnima Singh
Assistant Professor (Geography) Government Meera Girls College, Udaipur, Rajasthan, India
Email: purnimasinghbunkar@gmail.com
Abstract: Water is a very precious resource which is very essential not only for development ofagriculture, industries and domestic purposes but also for the very existence of human beings,
animals, other organisms and vegetation on the earth. Hardly one percent of water on the earth
is available in the land area. With increasing population, urbanization, industrialization andirrigation, there is an increasing pressure on the water resources. As a result, both the quantityand quality of water is becoming a major issue of prime concern. Udaipur city known as a city oflakes is dependent upon lakes for more than seventy percent of its drinking water supply. With
increasing population, the demand of water for drinking purposes has consistently increased andat the same time the quality of water in lakes has deteriorated. The present study is an attempt
based on secondary data analysis to assess the demand of water for drinking purposes and thequality of water available in the lakes, and measures having been undertaken to maintain andimprove the quality of water as well as to enhance intake of water in lakes.
Key words: Hydro system, Water quality, Overdraft, Lake treatment, Catchment area treatment
Introduction
Water is very precious and essential resource for the survival of life on the earth. It seems at firstthat water is abundant on the earth but actually usable water is very limited and people realise
its actual importance only in case of its scarcity. Even at places where water is available inabundance, we face problem of water pollution in lakes, rivers and also in underground water.
The intolerable burden of human and chemical waste products has become a threat to humanand aquatic life. The quality of drinking water depends on the quantity of harmful elements
present in it. Water should be clean, odourless, tasteless, and the presence of these elements
should be within the permissible limits. Udaipur city is mostly dependent on Lakes as they are
principal source of drinking water. Economy of the city is more or less dependent on tourism
which in turn is due to placid beauty of lakes and surrounding landscape. Hence, water
resources are of vital importance for Udaipur city.
Objectives
The paper aims to study the status and sources of drinking water in Udaipur city. The quality ofwater of lakes of city has been discussed in detail. The measures undertaken by various
government agencies for integrated water resources management and drinking water
management in Udaipur city have also been studied.
Study Area
Udaipur city lies between 24º 28'49''and 24º 42'56'' North latitude, and from73º 36'51'' to 73º49'46'' East longitude at a general elevation of about 598 meters above mean sea level and issurrounded by the hills. It is a district as well as divisional headquarter spreading over ageographical area of 37 sq km. The total population of the city as per census 2011 was 4,51,735
with a literacy rate of 90.66 percent. As per population projection it is expected to exceed 8.0 lac
by 2022. The ancient civilisation of Ahar developed on the banks of the Ayar River which flows
through the Udaipur city (figure 1). The lakes of the city being interconnected form a lake system
which supports and sustains the ground water recharge, water availability for drinking,agriculture, industries and is a source of employment through tourism. The lake system includes
three main lakes - Chhota Madar and Bada Madar in its upper catchment area, six lakes–Bari,
Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Kumharia Talab, Goverdhan Sagar within its municipal
62

boundary and one Lake Udai Sagar in the downstream. All the lakes of Udaipur form a chain in
the saucer shaped Udaipur valley and are an integral component of the upper Berach basin. The
Ayar River finally merges into Banas which is a tributary of Chambal River.
Figure 01: Location map

Material and Methods
The study is based on secondary data obtained from Regional Office of Rajasthan Pollution
Control Board (RPCB), Departments of Water resources, Public Health and Engineering,
Government of Rajasthan, Urban Improvement Trust, Udaipur, District Collectorate, Udaipur anddata downloaded from various internet sites. The data have been compiled, classified andanalysed with suitable tables and graphs. The qualitative assessment is based on thespecification of the Bureau of Indian Standards (1991) for potable water. Measures taken byvarious agencies to improve the condition of water resources in Udaipur city have been
discussed in detail and suggestions have been given for improvement of lake water quality.
Review of Literature
Udaipur city and its environs was geologically first mapped by Heron et al. (1953, Geological
Survey of India). During the period of 1961-64, systematic hydro geological surveys and groundwater investigations were carried out by Geological Survey of India. Thereafter, various surveys
have been carried forward by Central Ground Water Board after its inception in 1972. Various
scientific/hydro geological studies have been undertaken in the district by Central Ground Water
Board between1977-78 and 1988-89. An Udaipur based society named Jheel Sanrakshan
Samiti is fighting legal battle from late 90’s by filing Public Interest Litigations in Honourable High
Court of Rajasthan for various issues related to conservation of Lakes of Udaipur. The report on‘Ground water resources and development potential of Udaipur district’ was brought out by
63

Central Ground Water Board in the year 1991. Revised District report was published in the year
2013 (CGWB, 2013). Khandelwal et al. (2014) studied Antibacterial activity of lactobacilli against
aeromonas veronii isolated from Pichola Lake. Rawal et al. (2014a) carried out an analysis ofphysical, chemical and bacteriological parameters of Lake Pichhola. Rawal et al. (2014b)
conducted a study of water quality of Pichola. Bhojiya et al. (2014) studied plasmid mediatedtransfer of heavy metal tolerance gene to escherichi coli isolated from Fateh Sagar Lake.
Further, Mangal and Pathania (2015) have carried out a study on aquatic resources of Udaipur
city.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Hydro system
Drinking water supply of Udaipur city depends upon the surface and underground water sources
such as lakes, step wells, tube wells and wells. These sources are recharged during rainyseason. Average annual rainfall of Udaipur district has been 637 mm since 1970. However
normal annual rainfall for the period from 1901 to 1970 had been 633.50 mm. Annual rainfalls at
Udaipur city from 2000 to 2016 has been represented in figure-2.
Figure 02: Annual average rainfall in Udaipur city, 2000-2016

Source: Land records section, district collectorate, Udaipur

The annual rainfall has been quite fluctuating during the last 16 years. The fluctuation
ranges between 362 mm in 2002 to 1015 mm in the year 2011.It is notable that since 2010 theannual rainfall has been above the average of 637mm except the year 2015.A successive studyof the pre-monsoon underground water levels indicates that the water table is declining with few
exceptions in spite of the fact that rainfall has been average and above average during theperiod. Post monsoon ground water levels during the last 10 years have improved and groundwater levels are showing a rising trend. However, a comparative study of pre-monsoon and postmonsoon ground levels indicate that ground water draft is increasing in the wake of increasing
demand due to a host of factors including population increase.
Status of Pollution in Lakes (1974-1994)
The lakes are natural drainage of Udaipur city and nearby areas. Natural drainage brings with it
all sorts of pollutants. Most of the hotels and nearby residential houses located on the lake
slopes release all sorts of dirt and drain water into the lake complex. Even the garbage collectedfrom the roads, dirt thrown from the houses, debris and remains of dead animals were used tobe thrown in the lake water. The city lacked an organised sewerage system and treatment
facility for the solid waste and sewage. With an absence of waste segregation, processing andscientific disposal facilities, the lakes in city have been facing increasing levels of pollution,64

thereby threatening an ecological degradation. Hence, this situation required urgent remedial
measures. The data in terms of pH, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Biochemical Oxygen Demand(BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) relating to the major lakes i.e. Pichola and Fateh
Sagar are contained in table 1.
Table 01: Pollution Levels in Lakes
Lake

Year

pH

DO

Pichola1974-76

7.7-7.8

4.4-11

1984-86

7.8-8.7

9.2-23.2

1994

8.0-8.7

5.0-8.4

1974-76

7.4-9.2

0.5-12

1984-86

7.8-9.5

8.0-22.8

1994

8.2-8.7

4.4-9.4

Fateh Sagar

B.O.D.

C.O.D.
2.8

6.4-13.5

0.8
4.6-12.0

Source: Jheel Sanrakshan Samiti Report, Udaipur, 1997

It has been observed that the variation in dissolved oxygen content in the lakes havebeen quite wide ranging from almost zero values in the bottom water to values as high as 23
ppm. During 1984-86 the levels of B.O.D. in surface waters of Udaipur lakes ranged between 4.6-13.5 ppm. The COD test performed in 1974-76 on the water samples of Pichola, Fateh Sagar
and Dudh Talai indicated the levels of 2.8, 0.8, and 6.0 respectively. As indicated earlier thatover 70 percent of daily water supply from Public Health and Engineering department pumping
stations is drawn from lake systems which are highly polluted by anthropogenic activities
increasing the risk of water borne diseases. Thus, the health delivery system is under extreme
stress owing to unabated pollution of drinking water sources.
Lake Water Quality (2012 – 16)
The Udaipur lake system comprises of Lake Pichhola, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Fateh
Sagar, Badi, Madar and Udai Sagar. Udaipur is dependent on its lake system, which is directly,
or indirectly the life source of the city in terms of surface water resources, tourism and theecosystem at large. Most of the tourists visit the city primarily because of placid beauty of thelakes. The tourists specially the foreign tourist provide foreign exchange and thus strengthen thelocal economy. The lake water quality is being monitored by Rajasthan State Pollution Control
Board (RSPCB) under National Water Management Plan (NWMP). The main parameters for
quality assessment of water are the levels of presence of pH, temperature, Total Dissolved
Solids (TDS), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen
Demand (COD), Nitrate (N), Iron, Conductivity (COND), Fluoride Content, Faecal Coli forms(FC) and Total Count of Coli forms (TC). The presence of these elements is necessary but theirexcess or deficit presence with respect to the optimally desired content is harmful for the healthof human beings, aquatic life as well as animals and vegetation. The data relating to thepresence of some of these components have been summed up in table 2.
The pH is a measure of acidity of an aqueous solution. Most of the biochemical andchemical reactions are influenced by the pH. The desirable pH range essential for drinking water
is between 6.5 and 8.5 (BIS 1991). The pH of water affects the solubility of many toxic chemical.
When acidity increases most metals become more water soluble and more toxic (Patel andParikh, 2013). The pH ± 7.35 to 7.45 in the blood may cause health problems. Headache,nausea, fever, skin infection, osteoporosis are some of the symptoms due to lower level of pH(Kanchan, et al, 2012). The pH in Udai Sagar Lake is more than 8.5 and therefore is not fit for
drinking purpose & for aquatic life. The pH in the water of Pichola Lake is between 7.6 and 8.5
whereas it is between 8.0 and 8.5 in Fateh Sagar Lake. Thus, the quality of water of both
Pichhola and Fateh Sagar lakes are also approaching the upper tolerance limit of 8.5.

65

Table 02: Quality Status of Lakes at Udaipur City
Station

Permissible
LimitsPichola Lake

Udai Sagar
Lake

Fateh Sagar
Lake

Year

pH

Temp
0
C

DO
mg/l

BOD
mg/l

-

4

2

2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

06.58.5
7.6
7.9
8.5
8.3
8.4
8.2
8.8
8.6
8.5
8.8
8.0
8.2
8.5
8.4
8.2

Nitrate
N
mg/l
45

23
25
27
25
26
24
25
26
25
25
24
24
26
25
24

5.2
5.0
5.4
7.7
6.8
4.4
4.2
4.8
6.2
6.4
5.2
5.0
5.2
7.5
7.2

1.12
1.65
1.82
1.68
1.78
3.72
3.22
3.78
3.14
3.19
1.47
1.17
1.28
1.21
1.19

0.42
0.58
0.60
1.09
1.01
1.4
0.84
0.62
0.90
0.96
0.42
0.54
0.56
1.21
0.98

COND
µS/cm
301500
660
620
560
472
490
1630
1585
1510
1156
1150
650
620
600
610
615

FC
MPN/
100ml
undetectable

TC
MPN/
100ml
10-100

7
8
5
6
6
14
20
16
26
24
4
<3
4
4
4

30
400
80
60
80
125
645
1600
581
560
9
17
47
27
30

Source: Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Regional Office, Udaipur, 2017

Dissolved oxygen in water of Udai Sagar Lake was measured around 4.2 – 6.5 mg/L in
the years 2013 and 2016 respectively. The Dissolved oxygen in Pichhola lake water wasmeasured around 5.0 and 7.7 mg/L in the years 2013 and 2015 respectively. Likewise, thedissolved oxygen in Fateh Sagar fluctuated between 5.0 in 2013 and 7.5 in 2015. The tolerance
limit for dissolved oxygen is 4 mg/L. Thus, it is well evident that the presence of dissolved
oxygen in the water of all these 3 lakes is more than the tolerance limit. Accordingly, the water ofthese lakes attains drinkable quality only after disinfection.
The Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) in Udai Sagar ranged from 3.14 in 2015 to 3.78
in 2014 which indicates that there is a continuous influx of pollutants in it. The BOD in Pichola
Lake ranged between 1.12 mg/L in 2012 and 1.82 mg/L in 2014. Likewise, the BOD in Fateh
Sagar Lake was between 1.17 mg/L in 2o13 and 1,47 mg/L in 2012. The threshold limit of BOD
for drinking water is 2 mg/L. Thus, the study of water quality in terms of BOD concentration inthese three lakes reveals that the BOD water of Udai Sagar Lake has already exceeded thethreshold limit where as the water of Fateh Sagar and Pichola lakes are well within the tolerance
limit. In fresh water Nitrate concentrations seldom exceeds 0.1 mg/L. Higher concentrations
indicate the effect of human activities. Concentrations greater than 5 mg/L indicate significant
level of pollutions. Nitrates in all the three water bodies ranged between 0.42 in both Pichola andFateh Sagar Lakes in the Year 2012 and 1.4 in Udai sagar lake in year 2012. A summary studyof Nitrate concentration in the water of all these three lakes indicates that it is well within thedesirable limit of 2 mg/L.
Total count of coliforms (TC) in unpolluted water generally varies between10 and 100
MPN/100 mL. The values higher than 100 MPN/100 mL indicate contamination due to pollution.
A study of readings of TC in table 2 indicates that Udai Sagar lake having about 645, 600, 581
and 560 MPN/100 mL in the years 2013,2014,2015and 2016 respectively was the most pollutant
lake in an around Udaipur city. The reading of 400 MPN/100 mL obtained from Pichola Lake inyear 2013 seems to be an exception otherwise the values in other 4 year is well below 100
MPN/100 mL. The values of TC in Fateh Sagar Lake ranged between 9 and 47 and therefore
this Lake is well within the permissible limit. Faecal Coliforms (FC) values relating to 3 lakes arecontained in table 2. The values in Pichola and Fateh Sagar lakes during the period of 2012 –2016 are recorded to be less than 8 and 4 respectively. The FC values obtained from Udai
Sagar lake range between 14 and 26 in 2002 and 2014 respectively. After treatment the FCshould not be detectable in 100 ml sample for water to be potable.
66

Electrical Conductivity (EC) is a measure to the capacity of water to conduct electricalcurrents and it is directly related to the concentration of salts dissolved in water. The permissible
limit of electrical conductivity for drinking water is up to 1500. Pichola Lake during the period of2012 – 2016 oscillated between 472 and 660 µS/cm. The readings of EC in Fateh Sagar ranged
from 600 to 650µS/cm during the same period. The readings of EC in Udai Sagar Lake ranged
between 1150 and 1630 µS/cm. This study indicates that the EC is presently within the desirable
limit.
Development Stage of Underground Water
Stage of ground water development in the city is already above 110 percent and is categorised
as overexploited which indicates that there is no further scope for ground water development.
Ground water resources need to be used judiciously. The ground water in many areas is hard
and also brackish. Almost entire city is facing problem of ground water scarcity. Some areas arevulnerable to pollution and depleted water table. Ayar River around Kanpur has already dried up
during the last decade. The industrial and mining areas need constant monitoring for any water
quality deterioration. Water scarcity is a perpetual phenomenon in Udaipur city in spite of many
man-made lakes. The lakes which were used for domestic and irrigation purpose are now used
exclusively for drinking purpose. The degradation of catchment and rapid urbanization has
reduced the capacity of lakes. Revival of traditional ground water storage system i.e. Baori, open
wells, etc. for rainwater conservation for use in day to day life may help reduce ground water
draft. Now most of dug wells and Baoris are not used by public because of pumped supply
available. Taking advantage of uneven topography of the area, small earthen dams at suitablesites upstream in the catchment may be constructed to store rainwater. This will increase
recharge to ground water and would ultimately result in increase of yield of wells.
Status of Underground Water Quality
Ground water contamination is mostly due to absence of sewerage pipelines in many parts ofthe city. Presently RSPCB is monitoring ground water at five locations under NWMP. The resultsof the studies conducted in this regards at five stations are given in table 3. The pH values
obtained from all five stations during the period of 2012 – 2016 are under 8.5 mg/L and therefore
are within the permissible limit for drinking purposes. The DO values at four stations are almost
around the permissible limits. It is only at Subhash Nagar station that the values ranged between
4 and 4.6 mg/L. The BOD values at all five stations are within the permissible limit. Similarly, theNitrate readings at all stations except 3.04 at Subhash Nagar in 2012 are also within thepermissible limits. The FC readings at all stations except 4 near railway station Rana Pratap
Nagar in the year 2012 and 4 at Subhash Nagar in Year 2013 are within the permissible limit.
The TC values at all five stations are within the desirable limits. The electrical Conductivity at HP
near UIT Bridge ranges between 810 and 1430. The values of EC at HP near Fatehpura fall
between 1666 and 2200 µS/cm. The EC values near Aloo Factory are between 1466 and 2000
µS/cm. Likewise the values near Railway Station Rana Pratap Nagar fall between 1660 and
2300. Subhash Nagar has recorded the values between 1395 and 2100. Thus, the study interms of Electrical Conductivity leads to conclude quality of water has already approached thedesired limit.
Government Initiatives for Maintaining and Improving Quality of Water
Five of the major lakes namely Fateh Sagar, Pichola, Swaroop Sagar, Rang Sagar and Doodh
Talai have been included under the restoration project of the National Lake Conservation Project(NLCP) by the Government of India in order to preserve the cleanliness of the water bodies in
the city. Presently, a District Level Lake Conservation Committee headed by District Collector ismonitoring the progress of ongoing works under the National Lake Conservation Project (NLCP).
State government has enacted The Rajasthan Lakes (Protection and Development) Authority
Act, 2015. Works are being carried out for municipal solid waste management, diversion of
sewage away from the lakes by installation of new sewer lines and repairing of existing ones,
stringent actions against unauthorized construction around the lakes, developments of Ayar riverand establishment of sewage system in entire city of Udaipur, construction of earmarked Dhobi
ghats, toilets and idol immersion points, cleaning of lakes manually and through de-weedingmachine, forestation in the catchments area of Pichola Lake. There is a continuous monitoring67

for maintaining quality of water in the lakes by departmental team. Proposal for plying ofsolar/electric powered boats in the lakes are also under way. Under the NLCP emphasis has
been given to ensure the desirable quality of water in lakes as well as to increase the inflow ofwater to the lakes from its catchment. The conservation and management of lakes includes thetreatment of its catchment so that the quality of water can be improved right from its origin. The
NLCP consists of:Table 03: Status of Underground Water Quality at Udaipur City
Station

Year

pH

Temp
0
C

DO
mg/l

BOD
mg/l

Nitrate N
mg/l

Cond
µS/cm

HP, Near UIT
Bridge

2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

7.93
7.24
7.23
6.97
7.15
7.89
7.12
7.25
7.06
7.01
6.88
7.1
7.0
7.15
7.12
7.85
7.01
7.04
6.89
6.98
6.92
6.96
7.0
6.95
7.0

24
24
25
27
26
24
24
25
27
25
24
24
25
26.5
25
24
23
25
27
26
24
24
26
26
25

3.9
4
4.4
2.75
3.0
3.8
4
4
2.6
2.8
3.8
3.7
4
2.3
2.8
4.1
4.2
3.8
2.8
2.6
4.3
4.4
4.6
4.4
4.0

1.09
1.04
1.44
1.56
1.42
1.83
1.01
1.06
0.67
0.70
1.68
1.2
1.15
1.61
1.66
1.58
1.36
1.25
1.56
1.48
1.16
1.12
1.25
1.44
1.38

1.1
0.72
0.62
0.61
0.60
0.38
1.24
1.1
1.77
1.67
1.74
1.02
0.84
1.4
0.96
1.24
1.4
1.6
1.37
1.26
3.04
2.8
2.28
1.45
1.98

1050
810
890
1430
1390
2200
2200
2000
1715
1666
1900
2000
1900
1495
1466
2300
1910
1660
1790
1860
1530
2100
1530
1395
1420

HP near
Fatehpura

Near Aloo
Factory

Near Railway
Station, Rana
Pratap Nagar

Subhash
Nagar

FC
MPN/
100ml
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
4
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
4
<3
<3
<3

TC
MPN/
100ml
<3
<3
<3
<3
<3
4
4
<3
<3
<3
4
4
<3
<3
<3
9
4
<3
<3
<3
7
4
4
5
4

Source: Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, Regional Office, Udaipur, 2017

Lake Treatment: De-silting the mud and waste filled in Lake Bottom. De-weeding machine has
been procured in 2014 for removal of aquatic weeds from the lakes and it has been successful
insubstantially reducing the weeds from lake system in Udaipur. Floating fountain scum aeration
at five main locations in Fateh sagar has been installed. Installation of floating fountain-cumaeration at eight locations in Pichola group of lakes is under way. For biodiversity conservation
earthen mounds have been developed out of excavated silt in the Fateh Sagar lake and special
emphasis is being given to protect the habitat of migratory birds in addition to an island namely
Rang Sagar which was already existing in Pichola Lake. Department of Fisheries, Governmentof Rajasthan through their existing contractors is feeding different varieties of seeds of fish in
Fateh Sagar and Pichola lakes each year. Water quality monitoring of all the lakes throughaccredited laboratory established by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government ofIndia has been in places since 2011.
Catchment Area Treatment: For improving the lake water quality and quantity, treatment of
Lake Catchment is equally important. For interception and diversion of Sewerage, sewer lines
have been laid in about 8.50 km in length which is presently being maintained by Municipal
Corporation Udaipur. Further Sewer lines for another 60 km in length for lake peripheral area isin progress. Hindustan Zinc Limited (HZL) has established a Sewerage Treatment Plant (20MLD) at Eklingpura and is also extending financial support towards laying of the main trunk line
up to STP site.Catchment area improvement by plantation, soil and moisture conservation works
have been done in and around both the lakes. Solid waste management around the Pichola68

Lake has been in operation to reduce the accumulation of solid waste. Catch water drains areconstructed to collect the storm water and at specified locations silt traps are being provided totrap the silt. For hydraulic improvement of feeders and inlets encroachment from the major
feeders/tributaries of Pichola group of lakes and Fateh Sagar lake have been removed. For lake
front development works such as shoreline demarcation and protection, island development,
face lifting and overall environmental improvement, community toilets, renovation ofroads/pavement, beautification and renovation of Ghats and conservation of heritage.After theban imposed by the Rajasthan High Court and National Green Tribunal in 2015 on immersion ofidols, garlands, Tajiyas, coconuts and all such materials in lakes in year 2015,the District
administration, Municipal Corporation and Urban Improvement Trust have successfully taken
steps for providing alternate immersion sites and immersion of idols on Durga Puja and Ganesh
Chaturthi and Tajiyas on Moharram have completely stopped.
Existing Drinking Water Supply Situation
Fateh sagar, Pichola (including flow from Dewas-I and II), Jaisamand Lake and Mansi Wakal
Dam are the major sources of water for Udaipur city. 53 tube wells and 29 open wells
supplement this water supply. Around 2100 hand pumps are also installed in various localities of
the city. The production of water was 70 MLD against the demand of 86 MLD in 2011. Total 111
MLD water was available in 2016 from all above sources and the water demand of Udaipur city
for all sectors i.e. domestic, industrial, institutional, tourists etc was 128.6 MLD. The estimateddemand of water in domestic sector would be 101 MLD in 2021, 122 MLD in 2031 and 148 MLD
by 2041. The entire city is divided in two transmission and distribution divisions, 9 zones and 38
water supply sub zones. The length of pipeline network is more than 900 km and thetransmission main line is approximately 250 km. The city has 10 water treatment plants. Thereare 30 clear water reservoirs (CWR)/ ground water reservoirs (GWR) with storage capacity of
26738 kilolitres. There are 35 over head service reservoirs (OHSR)/service reservoirs (SR) witha total storage capacity of 66001 kilolitres. The per capita supply of water in 2011 in the city was
74 lpcd against the target of 135 lpcd. At present the supply is around 124 lpcd. Water is
supplied once in 48 hours. The drinking water sources were inadequate until the water ofDewas-I and Mansi Wakel dam was made available. At present the lakes of Udaipur city can be
filled with water at any time during the year from water of above dams available in upstream.
The infrastructure of transmission and distribution of drinking water is old, inadequate andinefficient. Udaipur city is one of cities selected as smart city under the Smart City Mission(SCM) of Government of India with an objective to develop city with core infrastructure anddecent quality of life for its citizens, a clean and sustainable environment and application of“smart” solutions. Under Udaipur Integrated Infrastructure Project under smart city project, theimprovement in water supply infrastructure is also proposed. This project aims to improve thereliability and quality of water supply in the walled city area by enhancing the per capita watersupply to 135 lpcd, improving the frequency of water supply from 48 hours to 24 hours andgradually migrating to 24X7 system and reducing the non- revenue water to 15 percent. The
project aims to replace, renovate and strengthen the water supply infrastructure.
Conclusion and Suggestions
Undoubtedly more than seventy percent of drinking water supply in Udaipur city is dependent
upon water from the lakes. Simultaneously, the underground water resources which werealready scarce are depleting at an alarming rate. The population is increasing very fastly by way
of both absolute increase and influx of immigrant population. The increasing demands ofdrinking water from the lakes, the pressure from the tourist and the local people on lakes have
led to deterioration in the quality of water in the lakes. Now a lot of steps have already been
undertaken and some more steps are in pipeline to maintain and improve the quality of water inlake system for drinking purposes. Efforts are being made to increase the intake of water in thelakes by water harvesting in catchment area. Regular cleaning of weeds and garbage in andaround lakes needs to be undertaken. The domestic waste water drains and sewerage drains
falling in the lakes needs to be identified and remedial measures needs to be taken to divert
them away from lakes in the sewerage system. The Fateh Sagar and Picchola lakes being the
primary source of drinking water for Udaipur city has been receiving attention from time to timefrom the administration and Courts of law. Undoubtedly Udai Sagar has become very polluted
69and neglected. Environmental degradation and denudational processes in the hills around thelakes are to be properly monitored and treated. Mass awareness programs needs to belaunched to create awareness for preservation and conservation of lakes of Udaipur. All legal
provisions and orders of the courts to the effect of conservation of lakes need to be implemented
in letter and spirit. Proper implementation of integrated infrastructure project under smart city has
become the need of the hour.
References
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