The Arvind Kejriwal Government is in the process of initiating a series of measures to monitor and improve the quality of drinking water supply in various parts of the national Capital.
The Government intends to set up a ‘Water Disaster Management Centre’ to impart training and provide research facilities not only to its own employees but also to the ones from other States as well.
It is planning to open 14 more water testing facilities at its Sewage Treatment Plants and induct GPS-enabled 13 mobile laboratories to carry out on-the-spot tests of drinking water in different areas.
Currently, there are water testing laboratories available at only seven STPs. The laboratories carry out water tests once or twice every week. But the Government now plans to equip its remaining 14 STPs with laboratories to examine water on an hourly basis. It plans to induct mobile labs which will carry out on-the-spot tests. The water testing reports will be uploaded on the
DJB website and grievances related to quality of drinking water will be redressed within 24 hours.
Also, the Government is to set up a “Water Disaster Management Centre’. The centre - reportedly on lines with the one operating in the United States - will reportedly have a control room to monitor the supply of water from its direct source till it reaches the STPs or the Yamuna river. The estimated cost of the centre, without infrastructure, will work out about Rs 50 crore.
Sources said continuous monitoring of the water supply was necessary as affluent coming out of industries and hospitals were directly going either into the STPs or the Yamuna river. “Since toxins like nickle go into the STPS, it was causing a major damage to them. Now we will be installing censors to check the inflow of any radio active substance into the STPs,” a senior officer told The Pioneer.
The officer said plans were also afoot to ensure that the lab reports were directly available on the mobile applications of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Minister concerned Kapil Mishra. A report to this effect is ready and will be soon moved before the city Cabinet for final approval.
The Government has been making serious efforts in providing piped drinking water to Delhiites. Soon after it came to power, it announced free supply of 20 kilolitre water to each household every month in the city. It plans to provide piped water supply to one and all in the next two years. To enable the residents of unauthorised colonies to avail the water and sewer connections, the Government has already reduced new connection charges by 80 per cent which ultimately resulted in new connections to 1.42 lakh families during the last one year.