Water crisis will be over soon, says DJB vice-chief

New Delhi: Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice-chairperson Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said the Haryana government has released city’s “rightful share of water”, two days after the water utility filed a petition in the Supreme Court over the issue

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice chairperson Raghav Chadha on Tuesday said the Haryana government has released the city’s “rightful share of water”, two days after the water utility filed a petition in the Supreme Court over the issue.

Senior AAP leader and the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Jal Board Raghav Chadha. (ANI Photo)

“The Haryana government released 16,000 cusecs (the share of water the Capital is legally entitled to) of water to Delhi, two days after the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government filed a petition in the Supreme Court. The water released at the Hathinikund Barrage will reach the city’s water treatment plants (WTPs) over the next three days,” Chadha said in a statement.

On Monday, Chadha visited the Wazirabad barrage, claimed that the water level in the Yamuna has slipped to its lowest mark since 1965, and blamed Haryana for the shortages that squeezed supply in the national capital with several areas in the central, south, west and New Delhi districts going without regular supply.

On Tuesday, Chadha said the water shortage being faced by residents in several parts of the city will be resolved soon with enough water being available at Delhi’s treatment plants.

“Soon after the petition was filed in the SC, the Haryana government released 16,000 cusecs of water to reach Delhi for its consumption. I would like to congratulate the people of Delhi for this victory,” he said.

Chadha also expressed his regret for the water shortage faced by a large number of residents over the past few days.

The Haryana government on Monday strongly denied the charges of withholding water.

“First, they (AAP government) presented false figures during Covid second wave to procure oxygen, much above the requirement, and now Kejriwal is doing the same on the water issue to hide his own failures. They are levelling baseless allegations,” Haryana home minister Anil Vij said on Monday.

DJB officials said that, at present, the water level is around 667 feet itself but will increase to normal as the water released from Haryana reaches it. “Also, with the monsoon showers expected over the coming days, the river may swell up like every year,” said a senior official, who did not wish to be named

Delhi’s daily water demand is 1,150 millions gallons per day (MGD), and the normal daily supply is 950 MGD. Currently, the city’s water treatment plants are producing less than 900 MGD.