Delhi:Water supply to be affected in several areas as Yamuna almost dries up

The water supply situation in Delhi has deteriorated due to the decrease in Yamuna's water level. According to the Delhi Jal Board, the Yamuna has become dry therefore the water level at Wazirabad pond has also depleted to 668.3 feet, lowest this year against the normal 674.5 feet. The officials at Delhi Jal Board are diverting water from the Carrier Lined Canal (CLC) and the Delhi Sub Branch (DSB) toward Wazirabad.

Haryana supplies a total of 610 million gallons of water a day to Delhi through two canals -- CLC (368 MGD) and DSB (177) -- and the Yamuna (65 MGD).

The CLC and the DSB are supplied water from the Hathni Kund via Munak canal and the Bhakra Beas Management Board. Besides, Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD is drawn from ranney wells and tube wells installed across the city.

Water supply from Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla Water Treatment Plants, which lift raw water from the Wazirabad pond, has reduced by up to 30%. The Chandrawal, Wazirabad and the Okhla WTPs have a capacity of 90 MGD, 135 MGD and 20 MGD, respectively.

The plants supply drinking water to northeast Delhi, west Delhi, north Delhi, central Delhi, south Delhi, including Delhi Cantonment, and New Delhi Municipal Council areas. Now due to shortage in supply of water, the Delhi Jal Board said that water in north Delhi, northwest Delhi, west Delhi and parts of south Delhi will be available at low pressure till the situation improves.

Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, while the DJB supplies around 950 MGD.

The water supply has further reduced by around 65 MGD due to the depleted water level in the Wazirabad pond.

The DJB had on Tuesday written another letter to the Haryana Irrigation Department, asking it to urgently release 150 cusecs of additional water in the "almost dry" Yamuna.

This was the fourth time in less than three weeks that the utility has written to the Haryana Irrigation Department.

On Friday, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had asked the Delhi government not to indulge in "petty politics" over the water sharing issue, saying if it wants more water, it should ask Punjab to release his state's "legitimate share".