Five-pronged plan to check water wastage: Delhi Water Minister

Wastage of water in the city could soon be a thing of the past, as the Delhi Water Ministry looks to chalk out a plan for this.

After his inspection of the city's water treatment plants, Water Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Thursday said that his ministry has decided to form a team and identified five key measures to check wastage of water.

"In view of recent reports of wastage of water, we have been working on a foolproof plan. Initially, we will work on five key areas and have decided to carry further it for the next couple of months. Once executed, we will work on overall plan," said Gautam.

The first measure that the Delhi government will take is to put flow meter at main points from water is distributed. These meters will help to monitor water supply from various plants. Talking to Millennium Post Gautam said, "Flow meters are installed only at plants. But we will also install them at other points of water distribution." After visiting various plants, he found that the amount of water coming from plants do not reach the primary and secondary water distribution points. "The engineers could not explain me the reason for this."

The second step involves making rain water harvesting plants mandatory for all govt schools, colleges, hospitals, buildings and residential complexes. Gautam said, "If they do not install rain water harvesting plants the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will not provide them water connections." The minister added that setting up small water harvesting structures is not expensive and will help combat the water crisis. "If we can make these structures, there will not be a water crisis and it will also help us save water."

The third measure will be making sewage treatment plants mandatory for all government institutions. These plants will have to be just large enough to manage the water from that building or housing complex. "Our engineers will plan these plants and also take care of the maintenance. But, without these plants, no government institution will get the approval of water connection," said Gautam.

After his first review, Gautam found that every house in Delhi does not have a registered sewage connection. Thus, the government's fourth thrust area would be to registered sewage connections to all households. "It is strange that many houses do not have registered sewage connection," Gautam said. His Department will also likely cease the water connection to houses without a registered sewage connection.

Lastly, all water connection repair work will have to undertaken after the DJB's permission. "Many residents do not approach the Jal Board for any major or minor repairs in the connections. They call local plumbers, who do not have proper knowledge of water connections," said Gautam. He added that DJB often does not get information about such repairs, leading to major faults and adding to the department's woes. "We will ask people not to hire non-government labourers to repair water connections and ensure stringent action if any such works happen," he said.