Panchkula, June 24 -- Despite chief minister Nayab Singh Saini's intervention in October 2025 and his directions to complete the repair work on a priority basis, the damaged water pipeline connecting Kaushalya Dam to Panchkula remains unrepaired. As a result, residents continue to depend on water supplied from Kajauli Water Works and tubewells. The dam is currently dry. Residents across several sectors, particularly those located in the Ghaggar belt, continue to face drinking water shortages, especially during the summer months. Officials of the Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) now claim that the repair work is ongoing and is likely to be completed by August 2026. Mohit Gupta, of Sector 25, said that while restoring the Kaushalya Dam pipeline is crucial to address water shortages in Panchkula, particularly in the trans-Ghaggar sectors, infrastructure repairs alone are not enough. Amid concerns over untreated sewage and pollutants entering the reservoir, he stressed that resuming the water supply must include rigorous and transparent water quality testing to safeguard public health. SK Nayar of Sector 15, said that three years is a long time to repair an essential public utility without providing an alternative water supply. He alleged that despite repeated assurances, the authorities have failed to resolve the issue. Residents of several sectors, including 4, 9, 10, 11, 12A, 15, 19, the Industrial Area (Phases I & II), and Sectors 24-28, are facing acute water shortages. Water pressure is so low that it does not reach even ground-floor showers, while residents on the first and second floors have been suffering for years, especially during summers. The pipeline was severely damaged during nearly 36 hours of continuous rainfall in July 2023, disrupting the water supply from Kaushalya Dam to Panchkula. Although a tender for repairs was awarded in July 2025, the damaged stretch is yet to be fully restored. A PMDA official, requesting anonymity, said that around 50 per cent of the repair work on the 350-metre damaged portion of the pipeline is still pending. The repair project, estimated at a cost of Rs.4 crore, has been underway for the past six to seven months. "Once the pipeline is repaired and made operational, Panchkula will receive an additional 45 million litres per day (MLD) of water from Kaushalya Dam," the official said. The Kaushalya Dam water supply project is a crucial component of Panchkula's drinking water infrastructure. Located near Pinjore, the dam supplies water to treatment plants in Sectors 1 and 32 through a pipeline passing via Bir-Ghaggar village. Besides providing drinking water, the dam was designed for flood control and groundwater recharge. In a review meeting on dam safety held in October 2025, the CM directed officials to immediately begin repair work on the damaged pipeline to restore water supply from the dam and reduce dependence on tubewells. He had also instructed the irrigation department to prepare a detailed plan for enhancing the storage capacity of the dam. According to NK Payal, executive engineer, PMDA, the authority is currently meeting the city's water demand through around 200 tubewells, which collectively supply nearly 52 MLD of water, along with an additional 45 MLD received from Kajauli Water Works. However, residents say the alternative arrangements have not been sufficient. Many sectors continue to face erratic water supply, particularly during summers when tubewell motors frequently develop faults. Power cuts further aggravate the situation as most tubewells lack generator backup despite repeated demands from residents. Residents on upper floors are among the worst affected. At present, water is being supplied for about eight hours daily, from 5 am to 9 am and during a similar schedule in the evening....