CM urges Centre to increase Capital's water share

| | NEW DELHI
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CM urges Centre to increase Capital's water share

Tuesday, 25 June 2019 | Sapna Singh | NEW DELHI

Demanding fresh allocation for Delhi’s water share fixed in 1996, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday met Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and requested to give quick approval for Yamuna floodplains water storage project, also explained that with this project Delhi will be able to meet its water demand for at least half year with the storage of single day monsoon rain.

Citing the escalated graph of the national Capital in terms of population, Kejriwal said, in 1996, the water share was fixed at 875 cusec and remained static since then. The population of city was 1.25 crore at that time, which has now increased to 2.25 crore, but water share has not changed.”

During the meeting with Union Minister Shekhawat, Keriwal appealed to urgently address the issue of increasing the water allocation to Delhi.   “Today’s water requirement of Delhi cannot be met with what was fixed in 1996, I also appeal to you to consider the fact that Delhi is the country’s Capital and all concerned authorities must ensure that drinking water is available to all the residents. It must be the primary responsibility of all,” Kejriwal said.

Mentioning about Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA’s) land pooling policy, according to it, at least 16 lakh new flats will be constructed in the city and this will further increase the water demand in a major way, Kejriwal said it would be difficult to meet water demands in near future. 

Importantly, Shekhawat assured that the Centre will examine the Delhi Government’s proposal and give its opinion within three days of receiving it. 

Delhi Government is also installing localised Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in all Delhi Government school buildings to minimise wastage of water and also working on a project to conserve water in residential areas, which will begin with the Group Housing Societies, where the plan is to install a double piping system for segregating toilet and kitchen/bathroom waste water for recycling. “We need drinking water,” Kejriwal said during the launch of Chandrawal Phase -II treatment plant.

At present, Delhi gets its water from the Ganga canal, the western Yamuna canal, the Bhakra canal and the Yamuna river. Besides, the DJB draws 80 million gallons of groundwater per day.

The Chief Minister also said his Government would provide round-the-clock clean drinking water supply to the entire city by 2024.

“It is our mission. In the last four and a half years we have made a lot of progress. By 2024, the Government would provide clean drinking water to every house through taps,” he said. The 105-MGD water treatment plant (WTP) at Chandrawal comes after a gap of 13 years. It will be constructed at a cost of  Rs 598 crores in three years. “At present, we are supplying 930 million gallons of water per day (MGD) against the demand of 1,200 MGD,” Kejriwal said.

Chandrawal Phase-II will have the advanced technology of ozonisation and activated carbon to ensure uninterrupted working of the plant.

It will be able to treat high ammonia content up to four parts per million (PPM) in the raw water. Earlier, the plant had to be shut down whenever ammonia content increased to one PPM, resulting in disruption in water supply in its entire command area. 

Speaking about the project, he said, “The Government is launching the construction of a 47.7 crore litre water treatment plant at Chandrawal today which will help supply clean drinking water 24x7 to 22 lakh people living in the command area of this plant, that is, the people of Chandni Chowk, Rajendra Nagar, Civil Lines, Patel Nagar, Karol Bagh, New Delhi, among others.”

When the Government was elected 4.5 years ago, Delhi’s water supply was woefully inadequate and ridden with irregularities; however, the scenario has changed in the last four and half years. “In 2015, we inherited a 70 year old system that was completely mismanaged, corrupt and exploitative of people. I am happy to share that over the last four and half years, with the engineers and officials of the Delhi Jal Board we have significantly improved the management of the system.” The CM credited the DJB for working with the Government towards fixing the system.

Meanwhile CEO, DJB, Nikhil Kumar said, “We, at DJB, get full support of the Chief Minister. The whole Delhi Jal Board family is working to fulfil the vision of the Chief Minister.”

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