Delhi witness drinking water problems as Yamuna almost dries up

Officials on Monday said that the production capacity at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants has dipped further as the Yamuna has "almost dried up" as the drinking water problem raised. "The Yamuna has almost dried up. The water level in the Wazirabad pond has dipped to 669.40 feet, the lowest this year so far. Consequently, the production capacity at Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants has further dropped to 60-70 percent," the official said.

The level in the Wazirabad pond was  670.40 feet on Saturday, while the normal level of water is 674.50 feet. Last year the water level dropped to 667 feet in July. The DJB has thrice written to the Haryana Irrigation Department to release the additional water in the Yamuna.

However, Haryana supplies a total of 610 million gallons of water a day to Delhi through two canals. The CLC and the DSB are supplied water from Hathni Kund via the Munak canal and the Bhakra Beas Management Board. Delhi receives 253 MGD from Uttar Pradesh through the Upper Ganga Canal, and 90 MGD through ranney wells and tube wells.

The Chandrawal, Wazirabad and Okhla WTPs have a capacity of 90 MGD, 135 MGD and 20 MGD, respectively. Delhi requires around 1,200 MGD of water, while the DJB supplies 950 MGD only. Talking about this matter the government said "We are taking all measures necessary to meet the demand but the situation is worsening by the day due to the intense heat and Haryana releasing less water in the river, another official said on condition of anonymity. The utility has advised people to store sufficient quantities of water in advance and issued helpline numbers to put in a request for water tankers."