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Delhi LG directs action on poor upkeep of Wazirabad WTP
In an order on Monday to chief secretary Naresh Kumar, the LG has sought an action taken report within 15 days
Lieutenant governor (LG) VK Saxena has directed penalty proceedings to be initiated against Delhi Jal Board officials over its alleged failure to improve the hygiene and maintenance of the Wazirabad water treatment plant, according to officials aware of the matter.
In an order on Monday to chief secretary Naresh Kumar, the LG has sought an action taken report within 15 days.
The action comes after the LG, following an inspection in March this year, wrote to the chief minister for the upkeep of WTP and ensuring cleaning of the pond reservoir behind the Wazirabad barrage.
According to Saxena, however, the shortcomings and directions issued by him have not been addressed in “true letter and spirit”.
“Despite my clear directions to expedite the desilting and cleaning of pondage area at Wazirabad barrage, the timelines drawn not only reflect lack of urgency, it does not fix accountability upon those concerned. There is also no mention about the plans for upgradation of the WTP,” the communication stated.
Officials in the LG’s secretariat said that an April 6 action taken report by DJB “does not address the basic issues” flagged by the LG such as desilting requirements, trash, corroded pipelines and dirt.
In its report, DJB said that with regard to desilting of the pondage area, an estimate for 50% desiltation has been prepared even as it said that the plant is being maintained according to CPHEEO (Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation) norms.
“DJB in the report neither addressed the issue of quality of water being supplied from the Wazirabad and Chandrawal WTPs, nor has it submitted any immediate plan for the desilting of the pondage area supplying raw water to these WTPs. It has also not detailed any action that it intends to take against the erring officials,” an official in the LG secretariat said.
DJB operates nine water treatment plants across the city. The Wazirabad pondage area near the barrage is used to feed the raw water supply of Wazirabad (131 MGD) and Chandrawal (90 MGD). Wazirabad pondage area is fed by Yamuna and CLC Munak canal which supplies almost a quarter of the city’s water supply.
The LG in his order said that “providing potable drinking water of adequate standard is the foremost responsibility of DJB”. “I am of the considered view that major penalty proceedings are required to be initiated against all the officers named in the report submitted by DJB. Further, the role of other officers who were issued memorandums be re-examined to ascertain any negligence on their part and action be taken.”
Condemning the LG’s direction, Delhi water minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said that they were “politically motivated” even as he said that government’s water treatment schemes were stuck due to paucity in funds. He also said that the “LG has no role to play in drinking water supply as it is a state subject”.
“LG is well aware of the fact that... DJB is grappling with artificial shortage of funds... The problem has persisted for many months since officials of the finance department have been asking for voluminous information back and forth. DJB has not even received complete funds allocated by the government for the year 2021-22,” Bharadwaj said in a statement.
He added that DJB has prepared a detailed scheme for in situ treatment of polluted water at Wazirabad Pond which is regularly discharged by Haryana. “Similarly, other schemes prepared for Yamuna Cleaning are stuck due to delay in releasing funds to DJB. LG is trying to distract attention from the issue of sand mafia of Haryana and Industrial Waste Dumping.”
