Delhi has slipped into unprecedented water crisis following the Jat quota agitation in neighbouring Haryana. The ongoing stir has disrupted water supply to Munak Canal the national Capital’s main artery after the pro quota agitators vandalised the regulator at Munak. The crisis prompted the Arvind Kejriwal Government to order closure of all city schools on Monday and rationing of water. After a high-level emergency meeting, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the situation serious and appealed to people to store water as much as possible.
There is an unprecedented crisis and the Delhi Government is in constant touch with the Union Home Ministry and the Haryana authorities for resumption of water supply from the canal, Kejriwal said on Sunday after chairing an emergency Cabinet meeting.
The Chief Minister said all the water treatment plants have been shut and even if Haryana releases water on Sunday it will take at least 24 hours more to restore the supply. “I had talked to the Home Minister and the CM of Haryana urging them to resume supply from the canal by sending Army there. I hope they will be trying it,” said Kejriwal.
It may be noted that the Munak Canal which supplies about 60 per cent of potable water to Delhi has been shut down after it was vandalised by the agitating Jats. Of the total production of 820 Million Gallons per day (MGD) of potable water, around 600 million gallons of raw water come from Munak Canal.
The major areas affected due to the closure of plants are West Delhi, North-West, Central, South and part of North Delhi.
Meanwhile, the Jat quota stir reached Delhi on Sunday as the agitating community held demonstrations at various places across the city, including in Nangloi, Madhuban Chowk, Narela, Najafgarh, leading to severe disruption of traffic on several arterial roads in South, West Delhi and Outer Delhi.
In a high-level emergency meeting with Deputy CM Manish Sisodia , senior officials of Delhi Jal Board (DJB), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Sunday, Kejriwal announced barring Rashtrapati Bhavan, offices and residences of the Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, Defence installations, hospitals and fire brigade, water will be rationed equally among others. He said his residence and office will also come under water rationing.
“All Government and private-run schools will remain closed. There is very little water as it is not coming from there (canal). All the water treatment plants are closed and whatever water is stored in reservoirs is being supplied through the tankers,” he said.
Speaking to The Pioneer, DJB spokesperson Sanjam Chima said, “There is no delay in water supply on the part of DJB. It is due to the Jat agitation, that water supply has been blocked from the Haryana. Currently, of the nine water treatment plants, seven are closed as they are completely dried up and as a result all these plants had to be shut down. The Government is trying all efforts to cope up with the situation very soon.”
“For the emergency need of the people, DJB’s tanker fleet has been fully redirected to the water deficient areas. Residents are requested to contact their nearest Water Emergency or the Central Control Room at 1916,” Chima told The Pioneer.
On Saturday night, the Delhi Government had moved the Supreme Court, seeking a direction to the Centre to intervene and ensure water supply from Munak canal.
The Supreme Court on Sunday agreed to give urgent hearing for Monday to the petition moved by Delhi government seeking Centre’s intervention for the uninterrupted supply of water from Munak Canal in Haryana which is allegedly under siege of the Jat agitators demanding reservation.