Delhi''s water supply to be augmented by 15-20% in 2 years: Kejriwal

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 10

To make up for the shortfall of water in the city - conservatively estimated to be 200 million gallons daily (MGD) - the Delhi government has initiated a slew of projects that will enable it to augment the availability of water in the capital by 15-20 per cent in the coming two years and by at least 50 per cent over the next five years.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has come up with a blueprint incorporating lessons from the Singapore model (NEWater plant) under which treated waste water will be released from sewage treatment plants (STP) into Yamuna canal allowing the water to further purify through natural process during its travel to STP where it is made potable.

The announcements came from Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal during a field visit of under-construction Coronation Pillar sewage treatment plant here today.

"The Coronation and Rithala STPs together will step up the city's water production by 15-20 per cent and as projects start Delhi's water woes would gradually decrease," said Kejriwal. 

Under the phase one the Coronation STP with a capacity of 70 MGD will become operational by next June, he said, adding that the work of laying of pipelines for it is in full progress.

"Singapore has a system in which water from STPs is discharged into the river and the same water after flowing is later reclaimed as new water. We are adopting the same model," said the Delhi chief minister adding once ready 70 MGD water from the Coronation STP will be released upstream Yamuna at Palla from where it will flow for about 11 km to Wazirabad STP to reclaim the water for use again.

By December 2019 in addition to 70 MGD, 40 MGD water from Rithala STP would be sent to Wazirabad via Palla for treatment and supply in the second phase, going by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB)'s plan.

At Rithala, the pipelines and the pumping stations will be ready for recycling another40 MGD water by December 2020 in the next phase, said Kejriwal, who chairs the DJB, thus taking the total retreated water of the two STPs to 150 MGD. In Dwarka, the government has proposed to install 50 MGD WTP to treat water coming from Haryana and it is likely to be ready by February 2020, besides a new 150 MGD STP will be set up at Chandrawal.

Delhi produces over 900 MGD water, falling short of catering to the demand of over 11,00 MGD. "There has been no increase in water availability Delhi before our government and we have laid water pipelines in 409 colonies since we came to power," claimed Kejriwal.

Consultant hired for 36 STPs in Delhi

The Delhi government has hired a consultant to see how treated water generated at the city's 36 STPs water can be recycled and reused on the lines of the two STPs at Coronation and Rithala. "Currently, the water from these STPs goes in Yamuna river and this once done will produce at least 200 MGD of additional water," said the Delhi chief minister.

The water utility also plans to make 70 new borewells at Palla which will generate 15 MGD of extra water in the next six-seven months and rejuvenate 200 water bodies with landscaping around them which in turn will improve the ground water levels.

Further, the Delhi government's plans also include harvesting rain water on war-footing before the next rainy season and for it the government is roping in the resident welfare associations under pilot projects targeting areas where the water table is high.

For cleaning of Yamuna a consultant has been hired, said Kejriwal hoping that the interceptor sewers project will be ready by December thus helping in generation of 605 MGD. 

Talks are also on with the UP government for concretising the canals which will further prevent water from seeping into the ground on their way to Delhi, said the Delhi CM while noting that it will take around four-five years.