Delhi grapples with ‘water crisis’, seeks spare water from UP, Haryana

Delhi Water Minister Atishi says there has been a drastic dip in the water level at the Wazirabad barrage during the last few days

New Delhi: Delhi Water Minister Atishi requested the Centre to ensure a provision for the release of spare water from either Uttar Pradesh or Haryana to address the national capital‘s “unprecedented water crisis”.

In a letter to Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Atishi said there has been a drastic dip in the water level at the Wazirabad barrage during the last few days as Haryana is not releasing the required quantity in the Yamuna. This has resulted in a massive water crisis in the national capital, she said while highlighting that the temperature in Delhi has touched almost 50 degrees Celsius.

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“This has further intensified the demand for water, putting additional burden on an already-strained demand-supply chain of potable drinking water in Delhi,” she said. Atishi visited the Wazirabad barrage on Thursday and found that the water level at the pond was 670.3 feet against a normal of 674.50 feet. This reduction has a serious impact on the water production capacity of water treatment plants in Delhi, she noted.

“I am writing this letter to bring to your kind notice the unprecedented water crisis situation that the national capital of Delhi is facing. As you are aware, Delhi is heavily dependent on water from the Yamuna river to meet its day-to-day demand,” she said in the communication, dated May 30. If adequate water is not released by Haryana, she said Delhi’s water treatment plants will not be able to optimally function.

“And if the water treatment plants do not function optimally, then Delhi will not be able to meet its demand-supply gap. This will have a serious and direct implication on the people living in the national capital. I have already written to Hon’ble Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini ji to appraise him of the issue. However, we are yet to receive a response from his office,” she said.

Highlighting that people from all parts of the country migrate to the national capital in search of a better future, she said, “It is our collective responsibility as a nation to ensure that the people of Delhi get the water they need.”

“… I am writing to request you to ensure that some provision of water is made for NCT of Delhi, be it from Haryana or Uttar Pradesh or any other state that may be able to spare water, so that the people of Delhi don’t suffer,” Atishi said in the letter to Shekhawat.

“The Delhi government and its citizens will be forever grateful to you if you could kindly intervene and help us solve this crisis … It is imperative that the state of Haryana must immediately release Delhi’s rightful share of water into the Yamuna river to bring the waters to the normal level of 674.5 feet,” she added. Atishi also said the Delhi government is making all possible effort to encourage people to use water wisely.

“A multi-departmental approach is being undertaken to ensure that there is no water wastage. We have formed on-ground teams to take immediate action against those who are found to waste water. However, these standalone steps will not be sufficient to curtail water scarcity in the national capital,” Atishi added. Delhi is facing an acute water shortage, with the AAP government accusing Haryana of not releasing the national capital’s share of water.

The BJP, on the other hand, has blamed the AAP government for the water crisis in Delhi and claimed that Haryana is supplying the city 1,049 cusecs of water from the Yamuna that exceeds the agreed-upon quantity.