Following Delhi lieutenant-Governor’s orders to augment water supply in Dwarka, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has sprung into action. Residents of the parched region are set to get some respite as the authority has decided to install 16 new borewells in the area. These would be in addition to the four tubewells which are set to be energised by next week.
Out of the eight new tubewells, two have already been made operational while four others are expected to come up by next week. The remaining two are expected to run thereafter. “Work is on at full pace and we are positive to meet the deadline of May 20,” said a DDA official. These are expected to come up near the Najafgarh drain opposite Sector 24 in Dwarka.
The authority currently has 79 borewells in the Dwarka region out of which 13 are lying defunct. While the DDA has begun work of reboring at these sites, it has also promised to provide 16 additional borewells to meet the water demand. “Once these projects are completed, the number of borewells in the area will go up to 95. These extra sources are expected to increase water supply by over six per cent,” informed the official.
While residents continue to complain not just of inadequate water but also about its poor quality, the DDA is left staring at the situation. “We are doing all that we can. But it is also a fact that groundwater in Dwarka is brackish. We have to dig nearly 200 feet to hit non-briny water and this takes time,” said another official.
Against a demand of 15 million gallons per day, Dwarka gets only around 4-5 MGD. The city is dependent on DDA for its water supply, of which 1.5 MGD is supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB). The remaining water is drawn by the authority through its tubewells. Residents meet the shortfall by using private tankers because of which many households get water supply only once in two days.