Amid scorching heatwave and high humidity level, Delhiites would have to face water crisis as the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Saturday issued an advisory stating that the water supply in some parts of the national Capital will be affected due to the depletion of pond level at Wazirabad.
According to the DJB advisory, the affected areas are North Delhi, North West Delhi, West Delhi, and Part of South Delhi, including Delhi Cantonment areas and the command area of Deer Park. The water level at the Wazirabad pond dropped to 668. 30 ft, while the normal level is 674.50 ft.
The reason behind the affected water supply, the advisory stated, is “due to depletion of pond level at Wazirabad and maximum possible diversion from Carrier Lined Channel (CLC) and Delhi Sub-Branch (DSB) towards Wazirabad and also fluctuation in them, the clear water production has been affected from water treatment plants at Haiderpur Phase-1, Phase-II, Bawana.
“However, the situation is being reviewed constantly. Delhi Jal Board is endeavoring to rationalise the water supply, however, water will be available at low pressure till the situation improves,” it said in a statement.
The DJB has also requested the public to make judicious use of water to avoid any inconvenience and said the water tankers will be made available at the time of any water-related problem.
Following affected water supply in Delhi, the private water tanker rates increased by 10-20 per cent, according to reports. Water supply from Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla WTPs, which lift raw water from the Wazirabad pond, has reduced by up to 30 per cent. The Chandrawal, Wazirabad, and Okhla WTPs have a capacity of 90 MGD, 135 MGD, and 20 MGD, respectively. Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.
The water supply has been further reduced by around 65 MGD due to the depleted water level in the Wazirabad pond.
The DJB had on Tuesday written another letter to the Haryana Irrigation Department, asking it to urgently release 150 cusecs of additional water in the "almost dry" Yamuna.
This was fourth time in less than three weeks that utility has written to Haryana Irrigation Department. Lambasting Delhi Government, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Friday asked the Delhi's AAP Government not to indulge in "petty politics" over water sharing issue, saying if it wants more water then it should ask Punjab to release his state's "legitimate share".
Khattar said Haryana has been adhering to the water-sharing arrangement with Delhi and releasing more than 1,049 cusecs of Yamuna water every day. "We cannot deprive Haryana of its water and give Delhi more than their legitimate share," he said.
"Instead of doing petty politics on the water issue, the Delhi Government should convince the Punjab Government to release Haryana's legitimate share of water at the earliest. I promise that the day Punjab will give our share, Haryana will increase Delhi's current water share," said Khattar.
Khattar said whenever the DJB approached the court, it has always been proved that Haryana is releasing more than 1049 cusecs of water from the Munak headworks against their share of 719 cusecs.