Water acts as leveller, crisis hits VIP areas
21 Jun 2012 12:55 AM GMT
The water crisis in the national capital has now reached the Prime Minister’s bungalow and other who’s who of Delhi’s Lutyens’ Zone. New Delhi Municipal Council [NDMC] had to supply water to these VIP areas through tankers, as it was forced to cut water supply by 50 per cent on Wednesday due to curtailed supply from Delhi Jal Board [DJB].
According to sources, a water tanker each was sent to the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday afternoon.
‘We have to supply water tankers in several bunglaows of Lutyens’ Zone and other places falling under NDMC, as DJB has curtailed water supply due to the ongoing crisis in the city,’ said Ajay Gupta, Executive Engineer, Water Supply Control Room.
He, however, did not reveal how many tankers were supplied. ‘The demand of water tankers is more where more security personeel have been deployed,’ added Gupta.
Meanwhile, NDMC officials also said DJB has started releasing more water since Wednesday night, and the situation will return to normal soon. Water supply could be normal in these areas very soon.
‘DJB has started releassing more water. We hope that by Thursday morning, we will receive 80 per cent of our share of water,’ added Gupta.
As Haryana is releasing more water after intervention of the PMO, the water level in treatment plants of DJB is rising gradually.
WATER IN NARELA THE WORST
The water supply in Narela Zone of NDMC was the worst of all samples that failed health standards.
In a report released by NDMC, over 50 per cent water samples failed in sample tests conducted by its health department. However, joint water testing by NDMC and Delhi Jal Board [DJB] reveals that only around 18 per cent samples failed that test. But the best and worst remain the same in both the tests.
‘People are getting infected from waterborne diseases due to drinking of contaminated and dirty water but government is doing nothing. Over 41 cases of cholera have been reported from NDMC area in the first half of June,’ said Mahendra Nagpal, Leader of House, NDMC.
According to Nagpal,w the corporation took 258 water samples for the week ending 15 June from six zones of NDMC among which 129 water samples were failed on health parameters.
The water quality in the city zone of NDMC was the best as only one water sample of the corporation failed the test out of 10 samples followed by Karol Bagh zone where 12 out of 113 samples failed the test.
But the joint water testing of water samples by NDMC and DJB concludes differently. In the same period around 232 water samples were tested in joint water testing of which only 44 samples were failed. The percentage of failed water samples in joint water testing is around 18 per cent.
‘DJB officials collect the samples only from posh areas and do not go to underprivileged colonies,’ alleged Nagpal. Over 11 cases of cholera were reported in the same week from NDMC area.
So far 92 cases of cholera have been reported from six zones of NDMC since January. The maximum number of cholera cases, 71, were reported from Civil Lines zone. The spread of the disease started since April. A total of 36 cases were reported from J J clusters and slums followed by 22 cases in regularised colonies and 18 cases in urban villages.
DJB JOINS HANDS WITH SINGAPORE FIRMS
With Delhi having to rely heavily on neighbouring states for supply of water, the Delhi Jal Board has decided to recycle and reuse waste water in a major way to help meet the growing demand of the city.
The DJB on Wednesday entered into an agreement with two companies from Singapore for technical support and implementation of the programme.
‘Delhi Jal Board signed an agreement with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and Temasek Foundation for a new programme designed to share Singapore’s experience in recycle and reuse of treated sewage and wastewater,’ a DJB official said.
DJB CEO Debashree Mukherjee and her counterpart in Singapore Cooperation Enterprise Alphonsus Chia signed the pact on behalf of their respective organisations in presence of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also chairperson of DJB. Jonathon Tow, Acting High Commissioner of Singapore, was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit, praised the initiative in finding an alternate solution to overcome the challenge of growing water scarcity in Delhi.
‘We have to adopt the mantra of the three ‘R’ which is reduce, recycle and reuse of our scarce natural resources,’ she said.
DJB officials said the agency will set up facilities to augment recycle of treated water as there has been an ever-increasing pressure on existing water resources. ‘With the population projected to grow to 23 million by 2021, the water scarcity scenario remains a real concern,’ they said.
Mukherjee said Singapore and Delhi have much in common in the water sector and re-use of water will help meet the growing needs of the city.
The programme will be supported by Temasek Foundation with a grant of Rs 2.04 crore.
According to sources, a water tanker each was sent to the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Wednesday afternoon.
‘We have to supply water tankers in several bunglaows of Lutyens’ Zone and other places falling under NDMC, as DJB has curtailed water supply due to the ongoing crisis in the city,’ said Ajay Gupta, Executive Engineer, Water Supply Control Room.
He, however, did not reveal how many tankers were supplied. ‘The demand of water tankers is more where more security personeel have been deployed,’ added Gupta.
Meanwhile, NDMC officials also said DJB has started releasing more water since Wednesday night, and the situation will return to normal soon. Water supply could be normal in these areas very soon.
‘DJB has started releassing more water. We hope that by Thursday morning, we will receive 80 per cent of our share of water,’ added Gupta.
As Haryana is releasing more water after intervention of the PMO, the water level in treatment plants of DJB is rising gradually.
WATER IN NARELA THE WORST
The water supply in Narela Zone of NDMC was the worst of all samples that failed health standards.
In a report released by NDMC, over 50 per cent water samples failed in sample tests conducted by its health department. However, joint water testing by NDMC and Delhi Jal Board [DJB] reveals that only around 18 per cent samples failed that test. But the best and worst remain the same in both the tests.
‘People are getting infected from waterborne diseases due to drinking of contaminated and dirty water but government is doing nothing. Over 41 cases of cholera have been reported from NDMC area in the first half of June,’ said Mahendra Nagpal, Leader of House, NDMC.
According to Nagpal,w the corporation took 258 water samples for the week ending 15 June from six zones of NDMC among which 129 water samples were failed on health parameters.
The water quality in the city zone of NDMC was the best as only one water sample of the corporation failed the test out of 10 samples followed by Karol Bagh zone where 12 out of 113 samples failed the test.
But the joint water testing of water samples by NDMC and DJB concludes differently. In the same period around 232 water samples were tested in joint water testing of which only 44 samples were failed. The percentage of failed water samples in joint water testing is around 18 per cent.
‘DJB officials collect the samples only from posh areas and do not go to underprivileged colonies,’ alleged Nagpal. Over 11 cases of cholera were reported in the same week from NDMC area.
So far 92 cases of cholera have been reported from six zones of NDMC since January. The maximum number of cholera cases, 71, were reported from Civil Lines zone. The spread of the disease started since April. A total of 36 cases were reported from J J clusters and slums followed by 22 cases in regularised colonies and 18 cases in urban villages.
DJB JOINS HANDS WITH SINGAPORE FIRMS
With Delhi having to rely heavily on neighbouring states for supply of water, the Delhi Jal Board has decided to recycle and reuse waste water in a major way to help meet the growing demand of the city.
The DJB on Wednesday entered into an agreement with two companies from Singapore for technical support and implementation of the programme.
‘Delhi Jal Board signed an agreement with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise and Temasek Foundation for a new programme designed to share Singapore’s experience in recycle and reuse of treated sewage and wastewater,’ a DJB official said.
DJB CEO Debashree Mukherjee and her counterpart in Singapore Cooperation Enterprise Alphonsus Chia signed the pact on behalf of their respective organisations in presence of Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, who is also chairperson of DJB. Jonathon Tow, Acting High Commissioner of Singapore, was also present on the occasion.
Speaking on the occasion, Dikshit, praised the initiative in finding an alternate solution to overcome the challenge of growing water scarcity in Delhi.
‘We have to adopt the mantra of the three ‘R’ which is reduce, recycle and reuse of our scarce natural resources,’ she said.
DJB officials said the agency will set up facilities to augment recycle of treated water as there has been an ever-increasing pressure on existing water resources. ‘With the population projected to grow to 23 million by 2021, the water scarcity scenario remains a real concern,’ they said.
Mukherjee said Singapore and Delhi have much in common in the water sector and re-use of water will help meet the growing needs of the city.
The programme will be supported by Temasek Foundation with a grant of Rs 2.04 crore.
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