Delhi CM Kejriwal reviews water augmentation projects in Capital

The CM reviewed the agency’s preparations for ensuring water supply across the Capital in summer along with water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and environment minister Gopal Rai and instructed officials to ensure all existing faulty tube wells are made operational in 24 hours

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday directed officials of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to focus on increasing the availability of water in tubewells across the Capital, treat ammonia in the raw water received from Haryana, and ensure groundwater recharge.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. (Sanchit Khanna/HT Photo)

The CM reviewed the agency’s preparations for ensuring water supply across the Capital in summer along with water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and environment minister Gopal Rai and instructed officials to ensure all existing faulty tube wells are made operational in 24 hours and the construction of new tubewells and sewage treatment plants is expedited so that water availability is increased. “DJB officials have also been directed to submit a plan to treat the ammonia present in raw water in Yamuna within a week,” a government spokesperson said.

Later in the day, Kejriwal also inspected the construction work on new Chandrawal water treatment plant with 105 MGD capacity. The project is expected to be completed by December 2023 and it will help in supplying water to 2.2 million households.

Delhi has been facing a water crisis with reduction in Yamuna’s water level from February. Waters supply to parts of New Delhi, South, Central and North Delhi has been impacted over this period with water treatment being reduced in Wazirabad and Chandrawal plant. According to Delhi Jal Board, the Wazriabad plant was supplying 105 MGD (million gallons per day) water on Wednesday against the normal levels of 134.5 MGD. The ammonia levels in the river water at Wazirabad were at 3.0 ppm-- three times higher than the maximum treatable limit of the water utility.

During the review meeting on Wednesday, Kejriwal said that the water availability in the state needs to be increased and the supply chain needs to be fixed to minimise water wastage. “CM has instructed the department to ensure that tube wells are installed within six months of obtaining land. An agency will also be deployed for maintaining tube wells for five years and repairing any breakdowns within 24 hours. Engineers will be held accountable if a tube remains faulty for more than four days,” the spokesperson added.

DJB has also been instructed to install flow meters on underground reservoirs (UGRs) and tube-wells to monitor the functionality of tubewells. Delhi Jal Board supplies around 990 MGD water to the city out of which 864 MGD comes from surface level copies while 126 MGD is derived from ground water sources (tubewells and ranney-wells).

Delhi has been focusing on expanding its sub-surface water extraction sites over the last couple of years. The chief minister has also directed the water utility to set up Reverse Osmosis plants alongside lakes to clean and treat the water before supplying it to households. The deadline for setting up RO plants alongside lakes has been set for September 30, this year. “DJB has been directed to prepare a comprehensive plan for ammonia removal plant within a week and prioritize its implementation,” spokesperson added.