Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday said that the government in the national capital is working on a war footing to deliver adequate drinking water to every resident, as the city battles an acute water crisis amid scorching summer temperatures and falling water levels in the Yamuna.
Speaking after a detailed review meeting with Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials on Saturday, Gupta said the Haryana government has assured Delhi of maintaining a minimum supply of 1,000 cusecs of water through the Munak Canal to ease the ongoing shortage.
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The assurance came after Gupta spoke to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini regarding the reduced water availability near Wazirabad, which has put severe pressure on Delhi’s water supply network.
“To tackle the water-related challenges arising due to the scorching heat, an assurance has been given by Haryana to maintain a minimum of 1,000 cusecs of water supply through the Munak Canal,” Gupta said.
Delhi, which depends heavily on neighbouring states for raw water supply, has been witnessing a significant drop in water production in recent days. According to officials, the DJB’s water production has fallen by nearly 90 Million Gallons per Day (MGD) from its target of 1,002 MGD this year.
Water Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the water level at Wazirabad had dropped from its normal pond level of 674.5 feet to nearly 668 feet, reducing the availability of raw water and impacting production by around 80-100 MGD. He attributed the situation to a prolonged dry spell in the upper reaches of the Yamuna.
A DJB official said Delhi had been receiving around 900 to 924 cusecs of water through the Munak Canal in recent days, but Haryana has now assured an additional 100 cusecs over the allocated amount of 924 cusecs.
To provide immediate relief to residents, the Delhi government has deployed more than 980 water tankers carrying out over 6,000 trips daily across the city. Smaller tankers have also been deployed in densely populated areas and narrow lanes to improve accessibility.
The government has also increased water production capacity by 10.5 MGD per day through the installation of additional borewells in the Yamuna Khadar area.
Gupta directed officials to take strict action against water leakage and wastage, saying every drop of water was precious. She also instructed DJB officials to personally monitor complaints and conduct field inspections when necessary.
According to officials, the DJB received 11,055 complaints on its helpline over the past week, of which more than 8,500 have already been resolved.
The chief minister also stressed the need for long-term water management measures alongside emergency steps. She said IIT Roorkee has been conducting a feasibility study on bringing water from Haryana through a dedicated pipeline system to reduce leakages and transmission losses.
Apart from this, the government is also working on dredging and desilting projects near Wazirabad, setting up new water treatment plants and expanding borewell infrastructure in the Yamuna Khadar region.
As part of conservation efforts, Gupta said rainwater harvesting structures are being developed in 75 CM Shri schools, while work has begun on constructing 500 new rainwater harvesting structures and reviving 1,000 old ones.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
