Uptick in Delhi Jal Board output, politics persists

Delhi Jal Board treated 984 mgd of water, below the target of 1,000 mgd. Shortage led to minor supply issues. Politics over water supply continues.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) on Thursday treated 984 million gallons per day (mgd) of water — a marginal increase from the previous day, but still below its targeted water production of 1,000 mgd, a bulletin released by the water utility revealed.

According to the daily summer bulletin issued by DJB, the water utility supplied 984 mgd of water on Thursday — a slight improvement on the 977.79 mgd on Tuesday and 981.89 mgd on Wednesday. (Representational image)

This shortage led to minor issues in water supply in parts of north, northwest, and southwest Delhi, officials said.

According to the daily summer bulletin issued by DJB, the water utility supplied 984 mgd of water on Thursday — a slight improvement on the 977.79 mgd on Tuesday and 981.89 mgd on Wednesday.

The water utility said that it received 1,102 water-related complaints on Thursday, of which 792 complaints were related to zero water supply.

“We are rationalising raw water sources to ensure that no particular area faces acute water shortage,” a DJB official said, requesting anonymity.

The politics over Delhi’s water supply, meanwhile, continued for a third day, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government of poor water management.

The AAP did not respond to the BJP’s remarks, but water minister Atishi had earlier blamed BJP-ruled Haryana for reducing the raw water supply in the river channel to Delhi — a charge that the Haryana government denied.

However, DJB in a statement on Thursday said that fluctuations in the Yamuna’s water level are normal, and stressed that the water level depends on several factors, including weather conditions, temperature, and state of precipitation in the catchment area, among others.

The Wazirabad barrage, located on the Yamuna in north Delhi, forms the primary holding area (Wazirabad pondage) where raw water is lifted for the Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants.

The “normal” water level in the pondage area is 674.5 feet, but has dipped over the past few days, dropping to 671.9 ft on May 15 and to 670.9 ft on May 21.

The BJP, however, said that the water shortage in Delhi was triggered by the poor management and lack of preparedness by the Delhi government.

“The Wazirabad water treatment plant is working below its capacity only because there is not enough water available in its reservoir. This is because desilting in the space behind the barrage, which was an annual task until 2013, has not been done for the past 11 years, and the capacity of the reservoir has decreased,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said in a press conference, calling it a “betrayal of the people of Delhi”.

Separately, DJB in its statement said that fluctuations in the water levels are routine and standard.

“It is clarified that water level of Yamuna river at Wazirabad depends upon many factors like weather conditions, temperature, state of precipitation in the catchment area etc. These fluctuations are routine and standard in nature, particularly become significant in summer months,” the statement said.

“DJB assures the people of Delhi that focused attention is given continuously for the optimum production and supply of water to the people of Delhi. DJB is fully geared up to meet the demand and handle any unforeseen situation in the ongoing summer season, 2024,” the statement added.