Receding Yamuna water level may deepen crisis

Shiv Kumar Sharma

Tribune News Service

Yamunanagar, April 26

On Sunday morning, the water level at Yamunanagar’s Hathni Kund Barrage was 1,064 cusecs, the lowest in the last 13 years. The state, Uttar Pradesh and the national capital, which largely depend on the Yamuna for its water needs may face a critical situation if the level keeps receding. The government has to release 761 cusecs for Delhi and 352 cusecs into the Yamuna for the wildlife.

Sources said when the Yamuna was flowing at 1,064 cusecs at 7 am on Sunday, Delhi got only 712 cusecs water, 49 cusecs lesser than the mandatory supply of 761 cusecs.

On the other hand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh could not get their share. The water was then supplied through the Western Yamuna Canal in Haryana and the Eastern Yamuna Canal in Uttar Pradesh from the Hathni Kund Barrage as no water was left in the Yamuna after releasing the supply for Delhi. “This year, we have been facing the problem of low water level in the Yamuna. We keep stopping the supply to Haryana and Uttar Pradesh time and again,” said Ranveer Singh Tyagi, Executive Engineer, Irrigation and Water Resources Department.

The sources added that the demand for water from several districts of Southern Haryana was fulfilled with the water of the Yamuna and Bhakhra (Punjab). However, the authorities of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department had failed to ensure the regular supply, they added.

“If the water level does not improve in the Yamuna in the near future, the crisis may deepen in Southern Haryana,” said the sources.

The scarcity has also affected the power generation in the government-run hydel projects of Yamunanagar district. “Normally, our all four hydel projects produce 30-35 MW electricity every day, but the power production has come down to 10-12 MW every day since February this year,” said GP Sharma, Executive Engineer, Hydel Projects.