In an effort to provide non-stop supply of potable water to the residents, more than 2,000 tubewells will be operated through solar energy by the Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan Department if everything goes well according to the plan. The Department officials informed that the decision was taken following the erratic power supply that also hampers the supply of potable water to the residents. Residents who are living in the remote and hilly terrains of the State are among the worst affected due to the disrupted supply of potable water. Besides, officials of the department concerned often blame power outage as one of the major reasons for not supplying round-the-clock potable water to the residents. Additionally, natural calamity that hit the entire State last year had also adverse effect on the supply of potable water due to the broken pipelines. It is noteworthy that Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of the State are the worst affected, specially those living in the remote areas of the State. However, department officials claimed that water tankers have been placed to curb the problem. Villagers who are living in the mountainous areas of the State are worst affected as they are forced to traverse several kilometres to quench their thirst. On condition of anonymity an official told The Pioneer that 900 and 1,100 tubewells of the Jal Sansthan and Irrigation Department respectively are going to be operated through solar energy system. “Two tubewells installed at Sapera Basti and Fatehpur under Doiwala block, Dehradun district was selected by the Jal Sansthan to operate through solar energy system.” He informed that daily demand of potable water has been increasing year after year and it has turned extremely difficult for the department to meet with the daily requirement of the district besides erratic power supply also hampers department efforts to supply round the clock potable water to residents.