The Delhi Government on Monday increased the 2020-21 Budget for water supply and sanitation by around 70 per cent, allocating more funds for unauthorised colonies and wastewater treatment plants.
Presenting the Budget in the Delhi Assembly, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said four decentralised water treatment plants, with a combined capacity of about four million gallons per day (MGD), will also be installed on the banks of Yamuna.
He also said that Delhi Jal Board has started the plan to install rain water harvesting in 439 out of its 771 installations. “The target is to set up rain water harvesting in 155 other installations this year. Around 1,605 unauthorised colonies have been connected with water supply system through pipelines,” he said.
The DJB has awarded the contract to re-fill 22 reservoirs with water. “For this, these ponds will be filled with water of adequate quality after treating the waste water. The water treatment capacity has been increased to 607 MGD and presently the treated capacity is utilised up to 500 MGD. It will steadily increase with the commissioning of the Interceptor Sewer Project,” he said.
The Government has started working on the action plan to ensure clean drinking water to every household in Delhi within the next five years.
As many as unauthorised colonies have been connected with water supply system through pipelines, out of this, water is already being supplied in 1,549 colonies and notification will be issued soon to start water supply in the remaining 56 colonies, Sisodia said during his budget speech.
Sewer lines are laid in 434 unauthorised colonies, he said, adding that the work is in progress in 597 colonies and is targeted to be completed by December 2020.