Delhiites may face water-shortage problem during summer months

Incomplete infrastructure coupled with inadequate raw water supply may leave Delhiites grappling with shortage of water in the summer months.

The unending dispute with Haryana over Munak canal will only aggravate the crisis as the neighbouring state has refused to provide additional water to the national Capital.

At least four ambitious projects undertaken by the Delhi Jal Board are far from complete while unavailability of water from Munak canal has rendered the existing treatment plants under-utilised.

The projects include the sewage master plan, sewer interceptors, redevelopment of Chandrawal water treatment plant and the sewage treatment plant at Coronation Pillar.

Besides, the water production at the operational treatment plants in Dwarka and Haiderpur has been very less that will aggravate the emergency situation during summers.

Not enough

Interestingly, none of these projects figure in the 70-point agenda of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Delhi government which had promised 29 kilolitres of free water to Delhiites.

The current daily requirement of water in Delhi is nearly 11 million gallons per day (MGD) but the water treatment plants in Delhi together are not able to produce more than 600 to 700 MGD per day.

Official sources said pipeline leakage has worsened the situation. They said due to high rate of leakage, average water supply in Delhi is only three hours daily. Old water supply facilities, inadequate operation and maintenance have increased water leak cases.

The DJB took up the Master Plan for Improvement of Water Supply System in Delhi with assistance from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 2009. It is designed as the top priority project and estimated to incur Rs 25,000 crore.

Of this, Rs 17,000 crore will be spent on laying new water pipelines while the remainder will be used for redevelopment of existing infrastructure.

No sewer system

Officials said Delhi's 35 wastewater treatment plants (WTPs) can at best deal with only 40 per cent of the daily sewage because of blocked trunk sewer lines and most unauthorised colonies lacking a sewer system.

The master plan proposes a 10,000-km pipe network, 75 WTPs and integration of various ongoing sewerage projects.

It focuses on areas where many households have not been connected. Similarly, five out of the six sewer interceptors are yet to be completed, with the only one in Dwarka commissioner in October, 2014.

A DJB official said the aim is to improve the quality of water flowing into the Yamuna by commissioning wastewater intercepting sewers in a 59-km length along the three major drains - Najafgarh, Supplementary and Shahdara.

It also involves interception of sewage flowing in and around 190 subsidiary small drains and directing it to the nearest WTP to ensure only treated sewage is discharged into major drains.

The other major projects to have slowed down include redevelopment of Rs 1704-crore Chandrawal WTP (executed with assistance from JICA) and a sewage treatment plant at Coronation Pillar.

Chandrawal WTP is the oldest DJB water treatment plant and caters to about 2.20 million people in Central Delhi, including the President Estate and Parliament House. The Singapore government is providing technical assistance in setting up the Rs 700 crore sewage treatment plant (STP) at Coronation Pillar.

In association with Mail Today Bureau