Release more water on humanitarian grounds, AAP urges Haryana Govt
New Delhi, June 15
Amid a severe water shortage in the Capital, the state government has appealed to the Haryana Government to release additional water into the Yamuna on humanitarian grounds on Saturday.
Water Minister Atishi reported a significant shortfall in water production due to insufficient raw water supplies in the Munak Canal and Wazirabad reservoir.
As of June 6, Delhi’s water production, which normally stands at around 1,002 million gallons per day (MGD), has dropped to 932 MGD due to lack of raw water. Atishi highlighted that the water level at the Wazirabad barrage has fallen by six ft to 668.5 ft, while the water received from the Munak Canal has also decreased significantly.
Laying stress on the urgency of the situation, Atishi said the severe heatwave has exacerbated the water shortage. She urged Delhi residents to use water carefully and emphasised that emergency measures, such as the installation of tubewells in west Delhi, were being implemented.
She said, “The Congress-ruled Himachal Pradesh is willing to provide water to Delhi, but further calculations are required by the Upper Yamuna River Board. Despite a recent meeting of the board, no immediate solution to the crisis was found.”
To address the shortage, Delhi Jal Board (DJB) tankers are making around 10,000 trips daily to water-scarce areas, supplying 10 MGD of water, she added. Additionally, emergency tubewells have been activated in areas like Bawana, Dwarka and Nangloi to support local residents.
She reiterated the Delhi Government’s plea to Haryana, emphasising that the immediate release of additional water is crucial for the city’s residents. She noted that discussions regarding the allocation of the Yamuna water could be deferred until after the heatwave conditions subside.
