Challenges in Implementing 24×7 Water Supply Projects:
Public Resistance: Initial distrust due to shifting from intermittent to continuous supply, requiring behavior change (e.g., eliminating household storage tanks)37.
Institutional Hurdles: Delays from administrative changes (e.g., Malkapur’s transition from Gram Panchayat to Nagar Panchayat dissolved elected bodies, requiring ad-hoc committees)2.
Metering & Billing Issues: Consumer refusal to install meters (37 cases in Malkapur) and flat-rate tariffs causing water wastage until volumetric pricing was enforced27.
High Non-Revenue Water (NRW): Leakages from aging infrastructure and illegal connections, with NRW exceeding 50% in Puri before reduction efforts37.
Technical Deficiencies: Interconnected pipelines without clear operational zones, inadequate pressure management, and lack of bulk/consumer metering17.
Financial Constraints: Unplanned connection surges (e.g., 450 new requests in Malkapur mid-project) strained budgets, requiring external funding23.
Skill Gaps: Limited expertise in hydraulic modeling, DMA establishment, and smart system management13.
Power Dependency: Interruptions risked supply continuity, addressed via backup systems in Puri3.
Key Solutions Deployed:
Stakeholder Committees: Multi-party coordination to resolve political/logistical roadblocks2.
AMR Meters & Smart Tech: Automated meter reading and real-time monitoring to curb NRW37.
Public Campaigns: Jalsathis (community workers) in Puri improved compliance and grievance redressal3.
Infrastructure Upgrades: Electrofusion joints and HDPE/MDPE pipes reduced leakage points23.
Challenges in Implementing 24×7 Water Supply Projects
