Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Monday to give him daily reports on water availability and supply and prepare a comprehensive plan to ensure that treated wastewater is reused in the city.  The DJB supplies 995 million gallons of water a day for the consumption and daily needs of around two crore residents of Delhi, against the demand of around 1,300 MGD.

The government is aiming to increase the water availability in the national capital to 1,240 MGD by March 2025.  Kejriwal held a meeting with DJB officials to review the preparations for the summer season.

“DJB will now have to give daily report of total availability and supply of water in Delhi to Honorable Chief Minister,” the chief minister's office wrote on Twitter. “Complete plan for re-use of STP water should be made, water will also be given to nearby parks,” it said in another tweet.

Delhi's sewage treatment plants discharge 514 MGD of treated waste water, of which 267 MGD is returned to the Yamuna river for downstream use and 90 MGD is used for horticulture purposes. The CMO said more than 450 places have been identified in Delhi where arrangements will be made to provide clean and pure water to the public through reverse-osmosis systems.

The groundwater table at a number of places in Delhi is high but the water is not fit for drinking purposes owing to high salinity levels. The government plans to draw groundwater in such areas and clean it using modern RO systems, according to officials.

The CMO also said the government will ensure an early approval for all the DJB schemes from different departments.

During the meeting, DJB officials stated that in the first phase, they plan to set up 500 RO plants along with tubewells in water-deficient areas, including unauthorised colonies, where piped water supply is not available, and water is currently supplied through tankers.

DJB will set up 500 RO plants in first phase with tube wells in water-scarce areas including unauthorised colonies; land earmarked for 471 ROs. The DJB is setting up 30 RO plants of 50,000 litres per day (50 KLD) capacity as a pilot project, and two RO plants have already been installed at the Jharoda Government School and Shakur Basti. Meanwhile, work on two more RO plants is ongoing in the Hari Nagar assembly constituency. Land surveys for the remaining RO plants are being finalised in coordination with elected representatives to identify available land. After the installation of the RO plants, RFID cards will be issued to local people to ensure they receive an adequate supply of clean water.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above-normal temperatures in most parts of the country this summer season, which could strain the water supply in parts of Delhi, which depends on neighbouring states for water.