Delhi seeks additional Yamuna water from Haryana for four weeks to avoid supply cuts
According to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials, the level of Wazirabad pond – a water reservoir located upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage on the Yamuna – stood at 668.7 feet on Monday, critically below the standard level of 674.5 feet required for normal operations.
Yamuna river bed near the Sonia Vihar treatment plant in New Delhi on Monday. (Express photo by Tashi Tobgyal) As water levels at the Wazirabad pond continued to fall sharply amid peak summer demand, the Delhi government has sought additional water from Haryana for four weeks to avoid additional supply cuts across the Capital, The Indian Express has learnt.
“We have managed the situation in March, April and May, which is nearly over. The issue is primarily for June. If the request does not materialise, then further curtailment of water supply may become necessary,” a government official said.
According to Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials, the level of Wazirabad pond – a water reservoir located upstream of the Wazirabad Barrage on the Yamuna – stood at 668.7 feet on Monday, critically below the standard level of 674.5 feet required for normal operations.
The drop has affected production at major water treatment plants (WTPs), with the Wazirabad WTP curtailing production by nearly 34% – the lowest so far this season among the nine WTPs in the Capital. While all other WTPs are witnessing a reduced output of around 10%, only Sonia Vihar and Bhagirathi plants are running optimally, said sources.
A source in the Delhi government said, “Due to a drop in the Yamuna water level at Wazirabad, production at Chandrawal and Wazirabad WTPs has been affected. Both plants are operating below optimum capacity.”
The source further said that to minimise the impact on consumers, water has been diverted from the Haiderpur canal system.
“Some areas may experience temporary low water pressure or short supply…,” the source added.
While Delhi requires around 1,250 MGD of water daily, officials said, the current shortfall linked to reduced production at Wazirabad and Chandrawal WTPs is estimated to be around 70 MGD.
“In June, due to rising temperatures, water demand increases. At the same time, there are evaporation losses and neighbouring states require more water for irrigation for the paddy sowing season,” an official from Delhi Jal Board (DJB) said. Officials said around 1,000 cusecs of water would be required in the canal system to enable diversion towards Delhi, along with around 70 MGD daily support through the Wazirabad pond.
They added that water supply is being rationalised in affected areas and tankers are being deployed where production has been curtailed. Tail-end localities are expected to witness the maximum disruption through temporary low pressure and short supply, they said.
Delhi currently receives around 1,050 cusecs from Haryana, Bhakra and Yamuna systems, and an additional 250 cusecs could substantially ease the immediate crisis, officials said.
Officials from the Haryana Irrigation department, meanwhile, pointed to long-pending transmission infrastructure issues between Hathnikund canal in Haryana and Munak canal system in Delhi.
Senior officials in the DJB told The Indian Express that nearly 800 cusecs of water is lost in transmission and that a project to create a parallel carrier system has remained delayed for over three years despite substantial expenditure of Rs 700 crore.
“A project that should have been completed is still pending. Had the parallel chain from Jagadhri in Haryana to Munak been completed, the current stress could have been reduced,” a source in the Haryana government added.
“Drinking water is always treated as a priority. But Delhi also needs to address transmission losses within its own network. Even Delhi’s own economic surveys have pointed to nearly 20% transmission losses,” the official in Haryana said.
Delhi depends heavily on water from neighbouring Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. The Wazirabad pond acts as the primary holding area for Yamuna water before it is processed at major treatment plants, including Wazirabad and Chandrawal, before supply to the Capital.
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