Minister Urges Citizens to Not Waste Water as Water Crunch in Delhi Rises to 50 Million Gallons a Day

The Delhi city government announced a water shortage of 50 million gallons per day (MGD) on Thursday, urging residents to conserve water. They emphasized that merely restraining the tanker mafia would not solve the problem. As parts of the city faced acute shortages, the Supreme Court directed the AAP government to seek additional water from the Upper Yamuna River Board (UYRB) to address humanitarian concerns.

In response to the situation, Lt Governor V K Saxena directed the Delhi Police to establish patrols along the Munak canal, which supplies water to the national capital, in order to prevent the tanker mafia from illegally siphoning water from it.

Following his instructions, the Delhi Police set up checkpoints and commenced patrols along the 15-kilometre stretch of the Munak canal along the Haryana border. The canal begins its entry into Delhi from Bawana and extends to the Haiderpur Treatment Plant.

Delhi's Water Minister, Atishi, conducted an inspection of the main pipeline that supplies water to South Delhi. She dismissed reports of water leakages in Delhi Jal Board (DJB) pipelines as unfounded rumors.

Additionally, Atishi visited Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar jail, stating that he is concerned about the city's residents and has instructed efforts to swiftly resolve the water crisis.

The Chief Minister instructed AAP MLAs to take proactive measures on the ground to ensure water supply to residents in their respective areas, Atishi stated.

Following criticism from the Supreme Court regarding the tanker mafia in Delhi amid water scarcity, the Delhi government asserted that these illegal operations were active on the Haryana side of the Yamuna river, outside the jurisdiction of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB).

Meanwhile, the plight of residents, especially those in unauthorized colonies and slum clusters, continued as women and children, alongside adults, struggled to secure a few buckets of water brought by tankers.

Addressing the press, Atishi acknowledged a genuine crisis in Delhi, citing a shortfall of 50 million gallons per day in water production attributed to reduced raw water supply from the Yamuna River and other sources.

She further stated that just six days ago, average water production in Delhi had dropped significantly from 1,000-1,005 million gallons per day (MGD) due to insufficient raw water supply from the Yamuna River and other sources.

"On June 12, the production was at 951 MGD. This indicates a decrease of 50 MGD in Delhi's water production, primarily due to water shortages, resulting in scarcity in areas located at the far end of the water pipeline network," she explained.

She emphasized that the city's water shortage cannot be resolved solely by cracking down on the tanker mafia.

Currently, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) operates over 1,000 tankers supplying water to areas like unauthorized colonies and slums that lack access to the pipeline network. These tankers make eight to 10 trips each day, resulting in a utilization of only four to five MGD (million gallons per day) of water, Atishi noted. 

"If tanker mafia is active and say 100-200 tankers are operated, it will be not more than 0.1-0.5 MGD of water used by them. Even if the tanker mafia is completely restrained, it will not solve the water crisis in Delhi as it is facing a shortfall of 50 MGD of water," she insisted.

She informed reporters that Delhi government teams have issued 1,323 fines for water wastage. Additionally, they have disconnected 179 unauthorized water connections used for construction and commercial purposes.

The minister urged residents of Delhi to refrain from using water from the DJB's pipeline network for activities such as washing cars, roofs, balconies, and watering plants. "People need to come together to tackle the water crisis."

She announced that the Delhi government has invested Rs 500 crore to reduce water transmission losses, successfully lowering them from 30% to 5%. Over the past nine years, 3,500 km of leaking pipelines have been replaced, and a comprehensive 60,000 km-long pipeline network has been installed to provide water to unauthorized colonies and slum clusters in the city.

Furthermore, she highlighted that the government has installed 3,285 bulk flow meters to monitor the inflow of water into the pipeline network and its distribution across the city. 

But Why Does Delhi Suffer from this Water Shortage?

Delhi, the world's second-most populous metropolis after Tokyo, is once again experiencing severe water scarcity. In the midst of hot weather and temperatures reaching over 50°C, the Delhi government has turned to the Supreme Court (SC) for prompt action to tackle its rising water crisis. It has requested that the state of Haryana release additional water to alleviate the issue and bring respite to millions of Delhi residents.

Delhi relies heavily on its neighboring states — Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh — to fulfill approximately 90% of its drinking water needs. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) reports that the capital's raw water supply is sourced from four main sources: 40% from the Yamuna River via Haryana, 25% from the Ganga River, 22% from the Bhakra Nangal Dam, and the remaining 13% from subsurface sources like Ranney wells and tube-wells. This water undergoes treatment at nine water treatment plants (WTPs) before being distributed through a 15,473 km-long pipeline network and underground reservoirs across the city.

According to DJB’s Summer Bulletin, Delhi's total water production fluctuated between 977.79 and 993.76 million gallons per day (MGD) from May 21 to May 31. However, this output falls significantly short of the daily demand of 1,290 MGD, which translates to 60 gallons per capita. Concurrently, concerns persist over water quality in certain areas, exacerbated by elevated ammonia levels (exceeding 2.5 ppm) and industrial discharge contaminating the Yamuna River. Despite regulatory oversight by pollution control bodies and interventions by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Yamuna remains one of India’s most polluted rivers, severely impacting Delhi's access to clean water.

Amid the political blame game, poignant images emerge of women, children, and young men risking their safety to chase after water tankers in desperation for a mere bucket of water. What exacerbates this distressing scene is the stark contrast in water access between affluent neighborhoods and slums, where the underprivileged bear the brunt of scarcity.

While the wealthy enjoy continuous access to running water and can afford private tankers at steep prices, those living hand-to-mouth lack such privileges. Consequently, marginalized communities in unauthorized colonies are compelled to depend on unsafe water sources for their daily needs, exposing them to risks of waterborne diseases like cholera, diarrhea, dysentery, hepatitis A, and typhoid.

Moreover, the insufficient water supply not only hampers the maintenance of proper sanitation and hygiene but also triggers far-reaching social and economic consequences. The increased incidence of illnesses due to inadequate hygiene and sanitation results in escalated healthcare costs, burdening both individuals and government healthcare systems alike.

Furthermore, frequent episodes of illness disrupt productivity as individuals are compelled to stay away from work or school, jeopardizing their economic security and educational prospects.

Numerous factors contribute to the exacerbation of this continually expanding crisis, including excessive groundwater extraction, water source contamination, the influx of migrant populations, the adverse effects of climate change, ineffective water management practices, and disputes over inter-state water resources. 

To address the widening gap between water demand and supply, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) has gradually increased groundwater extraction over the past five years. Reports indicate that this extraction has risen from 86 MGD in 2020 to approximately 135 MGD by 2024. According to the Central Groundwater Board's (CGWB) 'Dynamic Groundwater Resources of India 2023' report, released on December 1, 2023, approximately 41.49% of Delhi's 1,487.61 square kilometers is classified as "over-exploited" due to extensive groundwater extraction. 

This relentless pumping of groundwater intensifies the depletion of the water table. Notably, the expansion of concrete structures across Delhi obstructs natural groundwater recharge zones, further aggravating the imbalance between water replenishment and extraction.

In the context of these challenges, the Delhi Master Plan 2041 acknowledges water supply issues but provides vague strategies and lacks specific targets. It fails to reduce dependence on external water sources or prioritize initiatives like rainwater harvesting and wastewater reuse. 

Another critical factor exacerbating Delhi's water crisis, a global phenomenon exacerbated in densely populated urban areas, is rising temperatures and intense heat waves. The United Nations (UN) projects that each 1°C increase due to global warming could lead to a 20% decline in renewable water resources. 

Additionally, pollution levels in the Yamuna River at the Wazirabad pond have compounded the crisis. Exceeding the permissible ammonia limit for drinking water of 0.5 ppm as per the Bureau of Indian Standards, these heightened levels have reduced the efficiency of the Wazirabad water treatment plant by around 30%. This inefficiency has resulted in disruptions to water production and low-pressure water supply. Furthermore, the quality of the Yamuna's water, its flow, and its capacity to hold water are adversely affected by silt, sand, sediments, weeds, and debris accumulating in its riverbed.

Adding to the complexity, the most pressing issue remains the water-sharing dispute with Haryana. The Delhi government has consistently criticized Haryana for releasing less water than agreed upon in the 1994 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). In response, Haryana has argued that Delhi's water scarcity is due to internal mismanagement. Despite the technical aspects, it is evident that the ongoing political discord is severely impacting the lives of citizens, a responsibility both governments must acknowledge.

In a nation where migration across states and Union Territories is common, governments must refrain from politicizing critical issues such as water sharing. The lives of people from various states, including those from Haryana residing in Delhi, depend on a reliable and adequate water supply. As Mahatma Gandhi's principle of trusteeship suggests, political leaders are entrusted with public resources and must manage them judiciously and impartially, prioritizing the needs of the people over political agendas.

Looking ahead for Delhi, the United Nations asserts that the right to water guarantees access to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible, and affordable water for personal and domestic use. This principle is reflected in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which aims to achieve universal access to clean water and sanitation. Judicial rulings, such as the landmark case of Narmada Bachao Andolan vs. Union of India (2000), have also underscored the importance of this right. The Supreme Court ruled that access to water is intrinsic to the right to life and therefore a fundamental right, emphasizing that the state is obligated to provide clean drinking water to its citizens.

Despite these noble objectives, India's pursuit of ensuring adequate water supply for its capital's residents remains a significant challenge and a distant goal.

The Supreme Court has an opportunity through the petition filed by the Delhi government to definitively resolve the longstanding issue of water supply from Haryana to Delhi. Alongside awaiting the court's decision, Delhi must proactively pursue self-reliance through sustainable policy reforms, governance improvements, technological interventions, infrastructure development, and adoption of alternative water conservation methods.

A key priority should be tackling leakages in water distribution pipes to significantly reduce water wastage. These comprehensive measures are essential for enhancing Delhi's water management and achieving greater resilience in the face of ongoing challenges.

Simultaneously, it is imperative for individuals to embrace collective responsibility by conserving water at home through adopting responsible consumption habits and actively engaging in rainwater harvesting initiatives. A recent study featured in the Journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research underscores that an average roof area of 60 m² in Delhi can accumulate 364,800 liters of water annually (equivalent to 999.45 liters per person per day for a family of five). This quantity of water not only meets all household needs but also contributes to groundwater replenishment.

The current situation calls for united efforts to ensure a sustainable water future for Delhi and its residents.

Sources: Economic Times, Indian Express, Times Now, Youtube, Google