MANALI: With every spell of rain, taps in people’s houses spew muddy water . The irrigation and public health department has been forced to disconnect supply.A number of villages in Manali get potable water supply from natural springs and streams. The catchment area of these streams has very less vegetation, which leads to mud sliding into water sources. As a result, residents are getting black water from taps. Large projects and construction activities in the area have also been blamed for the situation.“When it rains, we get completely dark water. Even our water storage tanks are filled with a thick layer of mud. The department has no mechanism to treat water before supplying it to consumers. This can result in the spread of water borne diseases,” a resident of New Manali, Mohan Lal said.A few days back, water supply was cut for more than 24 hours without any intimation, leaving residents struggling to meet basic needs.Officials said heavy rain in Manalsu river catchment area has turned the water muddy and they had to stop supply till improvement in water quality. Residents also complain of increased silt in drinking water in the rainy season. The department filters water using the old technique of gravity.IPH sub-divisional officer Amit Kumar said turbidity was caused by downpour in the catchment area. “Water sources have a large catchment area and downpour causes mixing of suspended particles in the water. Field staff is keeping a watch on water quality,” he said.Manali is getting heavy rain, mostly at night and in the morning, people get turbid water. In the meantime, many parts of Kullu are getting less than normal rain and have limited water supply.

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