Delhi Water Crisis: Shortage Due To Capital Govt.'s Mismanagement Haryana Retorts

On Saturday, Chadha had said the Haryana government was solely responsible for the water crisis in Delhi as it had been supplying 120 MGD less water against the legally prescribed amount.

New Delhi: In response to the recent tweet by Delhi Jal Board Chief's tweet accusing the Haryana of withholding raw water; the Haryana Govt claimed that less water in the Yamuna river is due to delay in the arrival of the monsoon and the AAP dispensation's mismanagement which led to water shortage in the national capital.

Due to delayed monsoon, Haryana is facing severe water scarcity "but we are still maintaining water supply to Delhi without any reduction," the state government maintained on Sunday.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) vice chairman Raghav Chadha on Sunday said the water utility has moved the Supreme Court, seeking directions to Haryana to release the capital's legitimate share of water. He claimed that Haryana has been withholding 120 million gallons of water a day (MGD) meant for Delhi and that the raw water being discharged into the Yamuna by the neighbouring state is at an "all-time low".

"The DJB has just now filed the petition in Hon'ble SC seeking discharge of Delhi's legitimate share of water by Haryana which was decided by SC itself in 1995-96. Tough times in Delhi because Haryana has withheld Delhi's water in an outright contempt of SC's existing order," Chadha tweeted.

"Delhi does not have a source of water of its own. It gets water from neighbouring states under legally-binding treaties. Some unprecedented incidents have happened this year... Haryana has withheld Delhi's share of water," he said.

On Saturday, Chadha had said the Haryana government was solely responsible for the water crisis in Delhi as it had been supplying 120 MGD less water against the legally prescribed amount.

The Haryana government, in a statement, accused the AAP government of indulging in a "false political rhetoric to hide its failure"

"The shortage of water in Delhi is totally internal mismanagement of Delhi and Haryana has no role in it," it said, adding the people of the national capital are facing scarcity of water "as there is less water in the Yamuna river due to delay in monsoon and due to poor system of water management in Delhi."

"Haryana is continuously providing 1,049 cusecs of water at Munak through its canal system to Delhi the quantity of which is 950 cusecs of water at Bawana contact point. The Delhi government is indulging in false political rhetoric to hide its failure. The truth is that in spite of 40 per cent less water in the Yamuna, Delhi has been given its share of water," said the statement.

The statement said that Delhi has a share of 719 cusecs of water at Munak from Yamuna and Ravi Beas waters. Additionally, 330 cusecs extra Yamuna water is being released by Haryana at Munak, as per compliance of Supreme Court orders on February 29, 1996, it said.

'Water-level all time low'

The DJB has been supplying 945 MGD of water to city residents this summer against the demand of 1,150 MGD. At present, Delhi has been receiving 479 MGD against 609 MGD from Haryana. Besides, Delhi draws 90 MGD groundwater and receives 250 MGD from the Upper Ganga Canal. With Haryana withholding 120 MGD of water, the river has completely dried up and the operational capacity at various treatment plants has reduced by 40 to 50 per cent, Chadha said according to PTI. 

He said the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant (WTP) has been operating at 55 MGD capacity against the normal of 90 MGD. Similarly, the Wazirabad WTP and Okhla WTP have been operating at 80 MGD and 12 MGD capacity against their normal of 135 MGD and 20 MGD, respectively. Water supply has been hit in central Delhi, south Delhi, west Delhi and the NDMC area where important institutions, including Rashtrapati Bhavan, Supreme Court, Prime Minister's Residence, embassies are located, Chadha said.

Delhi is not begging before Haryana or asking any favour from it. The capital demands whatever it has been given under legally-binding treaties, he said.

"Raw water discharge through Yamuna by Haryana is at an all-time low. Even 1 ft decline can cause havoc in the city but currently pond level has fallen from 674.5 ft to 667 ft. Delhi's legitimate share is withheld by Haryana government," the DJB vice chairman said, attaching pictures of reduced water levels at the Wazirabad pond.

"There is zero cusec release of raw water in Yamuna from Haryana," he said.