Clean supply is a basic right like clean air and is needed for survival. The citizens of Delhi must fight for their fair share of this important natural resource

Last November saw at least four reports coming out in quick succession pertaining to the quality of the piped water supply in the Delhi-National Capital Region (Delhi-NCR). In two of its reports, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs stated that the tap water samples collected from different parts of Delhi failed to meet  safety norms. However, these reports were quickly followed by two more studies, this time from the Jal Shakti Ministry and the Delhi Government, which rebutted the Union Ministry’s reports and gave a nod of approval to the Capital’s water supply.

They even labelled the water quality to be better than that of some European cities. Even though the comparison with European cities seems a bit far-fetched, what is really worrying is the fact that the citizens of Delhi still have no conclusive answer regarding the quality of their water supply. And all the reports did was to spark off a slanging match between various political parties in an election year.

Traditionally, we rely on the authentic testing standards and procedures of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In September 2019, the BIS collected tap water samples from 11 locations across Delhi and tested the same for odour, colour and pH values and Total Dissolved Solids. These were part of the 24 parameters on which the samples were assessed. The water samples eventually failed on all the 24 parameters, leading to a major hue and cry in the political as well as public sphere.

However, even as the confusion over the authenticity of various reports remains, children and the elderly continue to consume water with dubious quality. The only one to gain out of this mess is the water purifier industry, which is witnessing an unprecedented boom on the back of the fears of the populace. The just-concluded elections also did not see any of the contesting parties give clarity on how they would approach the problem of unsafe drinking water and air pollution in the national Capital.

So, for the citizens of Delhi, the problems continue unabated as they battle with dirty air and water, with no respite in sight. In January, a leading media group commissioned a study to test the water quality in seven Lok Sabha constituencies across Delhi in an effort to highlight the water quality woes of the Capital before the February 8 Assembly elections. Termed as Operation Paani, the initiative involved collecting water samples from across the city on three different days and getting them tested by independent water quality experts. The tests eventually found that half of Delhi was getting unsafe drinking water. However, this time the report has not found any detractors. But then, the elections are over, so who is bothered to highlight the issue anymore. The spectre of beleaguered, frustrated and short on temper residents fighting for water near rusty water tankers is an all too common sight in India. Unfortunately, it is the same even in the national Capital and has remained so even after decades of governance by some of the so-called best governments in power. It seems like it is in the best interests of political parties not to solve such problems so that they can be milked for votes in the next elections.

This, sadly, is the fix that India finds herself in, where political issues are kept alive at the cost of the common man. So, how does Delhi get its water right? Clean water is a basic right like clean air and is needed for survival. The citizens must fight for their fair share of this important natural resource. The present Government in Delhi prides itself on the fact that it is people-friendly and approachable, which means it must listen to the problems of the people and more importantly do something about solving the issues that matter to the populace. And not just the Government, water woes are an amazing opportunity for the corporate world, too, if India Inc wants to approach the issue through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme. Under the CSR programme, corporates can tie up with the Government and install an on-the-spot water checking mechanism that is connected to the water supply pipes. This will give a real time feedback on the quality of the water being supplied. If suitable technology is paired with this initiative, then water quality readings can be forwarded to the citizens’ phone through an app and also be sent to the Government department concerned. This initiative will definitely improve water quality and Government accountability in one go, provided the politicisation of the issue stops and a genuine quest for a solution begins.

(The writer is an environmental journalist)