Delhi Water Crisis: In Response To SC's Verdict On Water Shortage, Atishi Outlines Steps To Combat Misuse

Delhi Water Minister Atishi's statement comes after Himachal Pradesh reversed its stance, informing the apex court on Thursday that it did not have surplus water to spare.

File photo of Delhi's water minister Atishi.

Following a Supreme Court directive to address water misuse, Delhi Water Minister Atishi detailed the government's measures to combat the ongoing water crisis. This comes after Himachal Pradesh reversed its stance, informing the apex court on Thursday that it did not have surplus water to spare. The court, in response, instructed the Delhi government to approach the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) for water supply. 

Reacting to the court's directive, Delhi Water Minister Atishi stated, "The Supreme Court asked the Delhi government what steps it is taking to prevent water misuse. Today, the Delhi government has provided detailed information about measures being taken in the same regard." 

Atishi explained during a press conference today that the Delhi government reported to the court about efforts to reduce water transmission losses from Haryana. "The transmission loss of water coming from Haryana used to be 30 per cent," she said. "However, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) constructed a CLC with an expenditure of 500 crore rupees, reducing the loss to five per cent. We have stated leakage. Over the past nine years, 3,500 KM of water pipelines have been replaced, and 7,300 km of new pipelines have been laid". 

She further detailed measures to ensure accurate water flow monitoring and auditing, stating, "To measure flow, 3,285 bulk flow meters have been installed. We have conducted a water audit from the Water Treatment Plant (WTP) to the Underground Reservoir in Delhi, revealing that leakage here is less than the international standards". 

Further addressing the rumors of leakage during her inspection of a 1.5 KM pipeline, she stated, "There was no leakage. Rumours of leakage are being spread, but they are not true. The Delhi government has hired a patrolling service to monitor this, we have also formed a special team in the Revenue Department."

She assured that the water produced in Delhi is reaching residents, and any leaks are promptly addressed. "If there is any leakage, information is sent to our data centre and it is repaired within twelve hours. However, there is no major leakage."

She also highlighted the enforcement of actions taken to prevent water misuse. "So far, our enforcement team has issued 1,323 challans for water misuse, removed 179 unauthorised connections, and set up a separate command centre. DJB has been running a leak detection centre for the past six months," Atishi said. 

She also noted, "Delhi produced an average of 1,000-1,005 MGD (million gallons per day) of water. This has decreased, with only 951 MGD produced on June 12. This means about 50 MGD less water is being produced. We presented this data to the Supreme Court, which directed the Upper Yamuna River Board to make a decision on this matter. A meeting will be held tomorrow. The court instructed that a quick decision be made and to hold daily meetings if necessary."

Delhi Water Crisis 

Several parts of Delhi have been facing an acute shortage of water supply amid an unprecedented high summer heat. The crisis resulted from reduced water levels in the Yamuna River and technical issues at key water treatment plants. This disruption left several areas with little to no water supply, forcing people to rely on tankers and borewells. 

The Delhi government had filed a plea seeking direction to Haryana to release the surplus water provided by Himachal Pradesh to the national capital to mitigate its water woes. 

On Thursday, the Delhi police began patrolling the Munak canal area to check the activities of tanker mafias, as per a PTI report. Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena directed the Delhi Police chief to ensure strict vigilance along the Munak canal to prevent water theft and sought action taken report within a week. Atishi also inspected a pipeline network supplying water to South Delhi residents as the water crisis in the national capital worsened.