Animal waste, garbage in Delhi’s raw water canal, inspection finds

Flagging the presence of domestic garbage and animal waste in the Munak Canal, the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) has directed Delhi government to restrict access to the system that carries the raw water provided to 60% of the Capital’s residents

Flagging the presence of domestic garbage and animal waste in the Munak Canal, the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) has directed Delhi government to restrict access to the system that carries the raw water provided to 60% of the Capital’s residents.

A senior government official said that board members inspected the Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant (WTP) and nearby areas, finding the canal’s condition to be highly unhygienic.

The water contained large amounts of refuse and a significant quantity of animal dung, said the official, adding that “open defecation is also prevalent along the Bawana belt.”

As a result, the board has written to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) and suggested that the movement of humans and animals near the canal be restricted. “This could be achieved either through construction of a boundary wall along the entirety of the canal or by conveyance of raw water through pipeline, the DJB was told,” the official further said.

A DJB official said that the board has awarded a study to IIT-Delhi to examine the status of the canal and water conveyance system, and recommend the way forward to address the situation.

Built between 2003 and 2012 as part of the Western Yamuna Canal system, the Munak Canal carries over 1,000 cusecs of Yamuna water daily to Delhi via two offshoots—the Carrier Line Channel (CLC) and the Delhi Sub-Branch (DSB). The canal starts from the Munak regulator in Karnal, Haryana, and flows south via Khubru and Mandora barrages before ending at Haiderpur in Delhi. Around 85 km stretch lies within Haryana, while the remaining 17–18 km stretch is in Delhi. Of the total raw water that Delhi receives from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, 60% is supplied via the Munak Canal. However, despite being a critical infrastructure asset and key source for the city’s water supply, its upkeep has been neglected.

To be sure, the water is treated before it reaches residents. “This water is treated before being supplied to households, therefore there is no need for public scare, but the canal does need protection,” said the official.

The canal is maintained both by Haryana, and therefore both states are discussing measures that can be taken up to protect the canal. “Prior to this, an elevated corridor and solar panel project has also been proposed which may improve its security,” the official added.

In 2019, the DJB had sanctioned a project to develop RCC wall to prevent open defecation along the canal in Bawana and Rohini. However, once the walls were set up, multiple spot checks found that they did little to prevent open defecation.

Last year, a report by the South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People (SANDRP) flagged several polluting activities taking place along the Munak canal, particularly in the Bawana region. This included open defecation along the canal slopes, industrial waste dumping and burning, the build up of garbage heaps and cattle dung.

To resolve the issue, which impacts public health as well as the operation of WTPs, the SANDRP has recommended short-term and long-term measures, including steps like deployment of home guards, installation CCTV cameras, and creation of iron barricades.

The SANDRP report said that, at Bawana, the canal is crossed by three roads with various bridges and both sides of each bridge have become a convenient point of disposing of all sorts of discarded worship materials. “Additionally, the solid waste dumping and segregation is taking place in close proximity of Munak canal towards JJ cluster. A lot of solid waste is inadvertently entering into the canal there,” it added.

The report also found that “burning of electric wires” was taking place on the edge and slope of the Munak Canal and the residual part — mostly black, burnt ash — was finding its way into the canal adding that at many places along CLC signs of industrial waste disposal and burning are quite visible.