Jal Board's water treatment capacity up by 40% in 20 yrs

New Delhi: The installed water treatment capacity of the Delhi Jal Board has increased by 40 per cent in the last 20 years, according to government data.

The DJB's total installed water treatment capacity was 650 million gallons a day (MGD) in 2001. It improved to 916 MGD in 2020. However, it has increased by only 8 per cent in the last 10 years.

The utility improved its installed water treatment capacity from 848 million gallons a day (MGD) in 2011 to 906 MGD in 2014, according to the Delhi Economic Survey report.

However, the growth has remained sluggish since then. The DJB added only 10 MGD of water treatment capacity in the last seven years, making it 916 MGD at present. Delhi's average water demand stands at 1,150 MGD, while the DJB is able to supply only 935 MGD of water available from various sources.

The national capital depends on other states for over 90 per cent of its drinking water needs.

The utility's sewage treatment capacity increased from 402.40 MGD in 2001 to 597 MGD in 2020, an increase of around 48 per cent.

Of this, only 524 MGD (88 percent) capacity is being utilised, the data showed.

At present, Delhi generates around 720 MGD of sewage.

"The STPs are not functioning up to their optimum level due to various reasons such as low flow of sewerage to STPs, trunk and peripheral sewer lines still to be connected to

these STPs, rehabilitation of silted and settled truck sewer lines yet to be completed, etc," the report said.