NEW DELHI: Delhiites faced a tough time as production in four of Delhi's seven water treatment plant fell by 25-30% due to Haryana reducing water release to the Capital.
Most parts of south, south-west, north, north-west, central Delhi, NDMC area and Walled City faced a severe crisis on Wednesday and the crisis is likely to continue for the next two days.
Delhi Jal Board (DJB) blamed Haryana for this crisis as the state has not been maintaining the pond level and canal level upstream.
Haryana has to release enough water to maintain the pond level at Wazirabad at 674.50 feet and canal level at 710 feet.
If the state does not maintain the limits prescribed by inter-state agreements, Delhi gets less raw water and the production at treatment plants falls leading to a crisis.
On Wednesday, the pond level fell to 673.30 feet and the canal level was 708 feet. Following this, production at Wazirabad, Chandrawal, Haiderpur and Nangloi water treatment plants fell.
Haiderpur, which produces 210 MGD, treated only 148 MGD on Wednesday. The 105 MGD Chandrawal plant produced 100 MGD and 124 MGD Wazirabad treated 115 MGD.
Nangloi plant, that has an installed capacity of 40 MGD but produces only 20 MGD, treated 17 MGD on Wednesday. DJB received several complaints from residents of south Delhi, including colonies like Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar, Munirka, Dwarka and R K Puram.
DJB CEO Arun Mathur has written to Haryana principal secretary (irrigation) to ask the state to release enough water.
Chief secretary Ramesh Narayanaswami has written to his Haryana counterpart about the crisis in Delhi. Mathur said:
"This problem has been recurring in the last one month. Even during winters we are facing a water crunch because Haryana is not releasing enough water. At present, only Bhagirathi, Sonia Vihar and Okhla plants are functioning up to their capacity as they work on the Ganga water."
Mathur also briefed chief minister Sheila Dikshit on the water crisis. He added: "We are issuing advisories for residents. But the situation is likely to continue for the next two days."Labels: DJB