The Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, has directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to provide daily reports on water availability and supply in the city. He has also requested that the DJB prepare a comprehensive plan to ensure that treated wastewater is reused. Currently, the DJB supplies 995 million gallons of water per day for the consumption and daily needs of around two crore residents of Delhi, which is less than the demand of around 1,300 MGD. The government aims to increase the water availability in the national capital to 1,240 MGD by March 2025. Kejriwal held a meeting with DJB officials to review preparations for the summer season.
The CMO has stated that the DJB will now have to give daily reports of total availability and supply of water in Delhi to the Chief Minister. The plan for reusing STP water should be comprehensive, and water will also be given to nearby parks. Delhi’s sewage treatment plants discharge 514 MGD of treated waste water, of which 267 MGD is returned to the Yamuna river for downstream use and 90 MGD is used for horticulture purposes. More than 450 places have been identified in Delhi where arrangements will be made to provide clean and pure water to the public through reverse-osmosis systems.
The groundwater table at a number of places in Delhi is high but not fit for drinking purposes owing to high salinity levels. The government plans to draw groundwater in such areas and clean it using modern RO systems. The CMO has also stated that the government will ensure early approval for all DJB schemes from different departments. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast above-normal temperatures in most parts of the country this summer season, which could strain the water supply in parts of Delhi that depend on neighbouring states for water.
