Indeed, it is ‘Summertime Sadness’ in North India, especially in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, which are sizzling in nearly 50°C temperature, with five deaths reported in desert state due to heatwave, as per the government.
Amid intense heat, Delhi and NCR regions and parts of Rajasthan are reeling under water crises.
Delhi water minister Atishi had said washing cars using a hose or letting water tanks overflow may soon lead to challan. She requested Delhiites to not wash vehicles “this way”, during a press conference a couple of days ago.
Which areas in Delhi are Affected?
The affected localities span from the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) area to Patel Nagar, and from North to South Delhi. People residing in Mehrauli and Chattarpur are also impacted by the water crisis.
Various parts including Chanakyapuri’s Sanjay Camp area and East Delhi’s Geeta Colony are among the worst-hit areas.
Minister Atishi also announced on Tuesday that several areas in South Delhi such as Greater Kailash, Lajpat Nagar, Chittaranjan Park, Hauz Khas, Panchsheel Park will receive water only once daily.
The Delhi Jal Board’s (DJB) summer bulletin on Tuesday reported that Delhi’s total water production was at 978 million gallons per day (MGD), with Wazirabad producing 110 MGD against a capacity of 131 MGD. Although there was a slight improvement from Monday’s production of 969.32 MGD, Wazirabad’s issues continue to impact the overall supply.
Who is Blaming Who?
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal today raised the concern of city’s water problems on X social media platform, and said the demand for water has shot up due to heatwave, and alleged the supply has been cut from the neighbouring states.
“If the BJP speaks to its governments in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh and provide some water to Delhi for a month, then the people of Delhi will appreciate its efforts,” Kejriwal said.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva has accused the AAP government of corruption. He alleged that water was being wasted and stolen, and the Delhi government has failed to stop the theft. He refuted claims made by Atishi that the Haryana government was not supplying water to Delhi. He even referred to an agreement that stipulates that Haryana should provide Delhi with 719 cusecs of water, but it is actually supplying 1,049 cusecs daily.
Atishi urged the Centre on Friday to ensure a provision for release of spare water from either from Uttar Pradesh or Haryana to address the water issue.
She said there has been a drastic dip in the water level at the Wazirabad barrage during the last few days as Haryana is not releasing the required quantity in the Yamuna, she mentioned in a letter to Union Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
The Delhi government attributes the current water crisis primarily to Haryana’s failure to release raw water from the Yamuna river to Delhi, as the capital heavily relies on Yamuna water to meet its needs. The raw water is directed to Wazirabad and then distributed to three water treatment plants located in Wazirabad, Chandawal and Okhla.
Atishi visited the Wazirabad barrage on Thursday and found that the water level at the pond was 670.3 feet against a normal of 674.50 feet.
What is Delhi Govt’s Action Plan?
The AAP government in Delhi has approached the Supreme Court, seeking an increased allocation of water from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.
Atishi has announced the making of a central water tanker control room and the deployment of quick response teams across all 11 Delhi Jal Board zones to tackle water-related emergencies. “Any resident who wants a water tanker should dial 1916,” the minister said.
To prevent misuse of water, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee will assign teams to monitor car washing facilities, while the Municipal Corporation of Delhi will dispatch its own teams to oversee construction sites.
The government has urged the people in Delhi to use water judiciously, or it will be forced to rationalise the water supply in view of the water crisis.
Water Woes in Noida and Ghaziabad
Facing severe heat, resident of Noida and Ghaziabad have been purchasing water private tankers despite assurances from Noida Authority, which supplies 480 million litres per day (MLD) against the requirement of 407 MLD.
The residents of Noida complain that they buy drinking water regularly. The third phase of Ganga pipeline, which would begin in July, would add another 50 MLD to daily water supply to Noida, said RP Singh, Noida’s general manager.
In Ghaziabad, there is a daily shortfall of 25 million liters per day (MLD). The city’s growing population has further strained its infrastructure. According to the 2021 Niti Aayog report, 21 Indian cities, including Ghaziabad could exhaust their groundwater supplies within a few years, potentially impacting 100 million people.
A recent study highlighted a significant drop in Gautam Budh Nagar’s groundwater levels, from 30-40 metres in 2002 to 140 feet currently, with a depletion rate of 11 to 12 feet per year. In Ghaziabad, data from the Uttar Pradesh groundwater board indicates an average groundwater level decline of 9.5 metres from 2017 to 2023, according to a report by The Economic Times.
What about the Shortage in Rajasthan?
The Supreme Court had last week allowed the firm that was given the contract to carry out desilting of the Bilaspur dam in Rajasthan, which is a lifeline reservoir of drinking water for Jaipur, Tonk and Ajmer.
The Water Supply Department of Rajasthan is supplying the drinking water to 251 cities/towns of the state. Out of this, only 117 are getting drinking every day. The rest are being supplied the drinking water once in two to four days, according to a report by Free Press Journal.
Water Supplies Minister Kanhaiya Lal Chaudhary has admitted that there is a water crisis across the state. “There is a water crisis in almost all the districts. We are trying to ensure that everyone gets an uninterrupted supply of drinking water. At present, we will have to go with the water available with us. There is an appeal to the public to pay attention to conserving water,” the minister told media.
The state is dependent on groundwater and surface water to meet its demands. Out of 302 groundwater blacks of the state, only 38 have safe and enough drinking water.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for 20 districts in western Rajasthan, including Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Churu, Hanumangarh, and Sriganganagar.