As water woes in the national Capital continue to deepen, the Centre on Friday approved a budget of Rs 1,248.2 crore for water reforms. It announced to build a parallel pucca channel from Munak Canal to Haiderpur along with complete renovation of two of its oldest Water Treatment Plants (WTPs). With an aim of providing drinking water at an affordable price in parched areas of the city, the Government on Friday proposed to set up 500 water ATMS in the national Capital.
“About 500 ATMs supported with ground water/tanker services will be set up in 2014-15,” said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, while presenting the Delhi Budget on Friday. There are many parts in the National Capital Territory (NCT) which do not have drinking water facilities, he added. “To provide drinking water facilities at an affordable price in water deficient areas, small-sized decentralised drinking water Reverse Osmosis (RO)-based plants will be set up and drinking water will be made available through water ATMs,” he said.
However, the Budget does not speak of any subsidy on water, like the one extended by the previous Aam Aadmi Party-led Government. “We will work to make the pucca channel from Munak to Haiderpur functional after resolving long pending issues with the Haryana Government. This will make available 80 MGD raw water for newly-constructed water treatment plants in Dwarka (40 MGD), Okhla (20 MGD) and Bawana (20 MGD) for population of about 35 lakh living in South, South-West, West and North-West parts of Delhi,” said the Union Minister.
In addition to this, the capacity of present water treatment plant and distribution system will be improved. “This programme includes complete renovation and modernisation of Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs 2,018 crore and Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs 2,243 crore under externally aided projects to be partly funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency and ADB respectively,” Jaitley said.