Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Monday assured the AAP government that he will take up the water supply matter with the Haryana government. He advised the AAP government’s ministers to not indulge in ‘blame game’.  Earlier,

Delhi Water Minister Atishi Marlena and Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj met Lieutenant Governor Saxena urging him to intervene in the water crisis issue and ask the BJP ruled Haryana to release water for Delhi. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Naresh Kumar and Chief Executive Officer of  Delhi Jal Board (DJB) A. Anbarasu.

 The AAP led Delhi Government has accused the Haryana government of releasing insufficient water to Delhi amid the ongoing water crisis. After the meeting, Atishi said the LG assured them that he would talk to the Haryana government to ensure that the national capital's share of 1,050 cusecs water is released in the Munak canal. Saxena also advised the ministers to avoid blame games and prevent wastage of water.

“The issue of 54 per cent unaccounted water and 40 per cent leakage in Delhi due to theft and unrepaired pipelines was again flagged by the LG and it was agreed by the Minister that a concrete plan of action for addressing this issue will soon be prepared by DJB. The LG assured that he will take up the matter of supply with the Government of Haryana and request them to give extra water on human grounds. LG also assured that the issue of staffing at DJB and additional burden on the CEO (DJB) will be addressed suitably at the earliest,” an official statement by Raj Niwas stated.

A team of Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) officials, along with senior officials from GNCTD and Government of Haryana, inspected the supply of water at the head of Munak Canal in Delhi on Sunday’s evening. “The team found the water supply from Haryana to be sufficient,” it stated.

 The inspection report revealed that Haryana on Sunday, had released 2289 cusec of water at Munak in Haryana and the quantity of water released from Munak to Kakori for supply exclusively to Delhi, was 1161.084 cusec against the quota of 1050 cusec of water.  “However, water received from Munak Canal at Bawana in Delhi was 960.78 cusec, amounting to a loss of 200 cusec, i.e. 18 per cent, on that date.These losses should be less than 5 per cent as per the accepted norms,” it stated.

In a statement, the LG office said Saxena assured the ministers that he will take up the matter of supply with the government of Haryana and request them to give extra water on humanitarian grounds. This water loss has also been highlighted by the UYRB, in its meeting held on Thursday, where Delhi government and Haryana government both were represented. Flagging this huge water loss, the meeting minuted, “urgent action is needed for Delhi sub-branch to bring down the losses which is around 25 per cent”. Munak Canal is the main source from where Delhi gets water from Haryana for supply to seven out of Delhi’s nine WTPs.

“During transit, a huge quantity of water is lost and stolen due to non-maintenance of the Munak Canal during its course in Delhi. This happens because of leakages due to non-repair of lining of the Canal as also theft by tankers, which were seen to be unauthorizedly lifting water during the inspection,” it stated.

In the meeting, LG also shared photographs with the Ministers where tankers were lined up along Munak Canal in Delhi and lifting water illegally. “However, it was also informed that during the current heat wave conditions, water received at Munak during May stood at an average 948 cusec and in June till now at an average 870 MGD,” it read. 

 Following the Supreme Court order directing Himachal Pradesh to release additional water to Delhi, it also came out during the meeting that it could not be ascertained yet, whether Himachal Pradesh was actually releasing the additional 137 cusec into Yamuna. The LG asked the Minister to take up the matter with the Government of Himachal Pradesh over the issue.   

 The issue of inordinate delay in the commissioning of Chandrawal WTP and Dwarka WTP, pending since years, was also discussed. “He underlined that if the wastage of the water to the tune of 25 per cent in Munak Canal due to disrepair/theft, etc. and 54 per cent unaccounted water which includes 40% leakages and theft in the city itself is plugged, the water crisis in Delhi would automatically be resolved to a large extent,” the statement said.