Amidst a plummeting Yamuna river water supply, Delhi Water Minister Ms. Atishi announced that Haryana has ceased releasing water to Delhi since May 1, causing levels to drop from 674.5 feet to 669.8 feet. As a result, water supply in some areas will be reduced to once daily, with the saved water directed to deficient regions. Ms. Atishi urges residents to conserve water and cooperate during this shortage and acute heat wave, highlighting the need for collective responsibility.
Delhi’s Water Minister Ms. Atishi said, “As you all know, Delhi is dependent on the Yamuna River for its water supply. How much water comes into the Yamuna River depends on Haryana as to how much water it releases into the Yamuna river. For the last few weeks, ever since May started, Haryana has stopped releasing water for Delhi. The level of the Yamuna river has been continuously falling in Delhi since 1 May.”
Elaborating on date-wise reduction in Yamuna River’s water supply, the Delhi Water Minister stated that on 1 May, the level of Yamuna was 674.5 feet, where water enters the Wazirabad pond. 674.5 feet is the level which has to be maintained continuously on an average basis. If you look in 2023, in April, May, and June, you will find that the minimum water level of 674.5 feet was maintained in Wazirabad. But this year, from May 1 itself, Haryana reduced the supply of Yamuna’s water to Delhi, and the water level of the Yamuna is continuously falling.
“On 1 May Yamuna’s water level was 674.5 feet at Wazirabad, and within a week, by 8 May it came down to 672 feet. The water level continued to fall and on 20 May it came down to 671 feet. By 24 May this water level came down to 670.2 feet, and today the water level has reached 669.8 feet,” She emphasized.
Minister Atishi further stated, asking, when Haryana does not release water to Delhi when enough water is not released into the Yamuna River, what is the result? The result is that the amount of water coming to Delhi’s water treatment plants decreases. When the amount of raw water decreases, the amount of water that the water treatment plants treat, and then send to different parts of Delhi also decreases. The result of this is that for the last few weeks and especially in the last week, there has been a very serious problem of water in many areas of Delhi. To overcome this (as I informed you a few days ago), we have almost doubled the running time of borewells in areas where there are borewells. Those borewells are being run for 14 hours each, from 6-7 hours, to supplement water. The number of water tankers has also increased.
The Water Minister shared, “Because the water level is constantly decreasing, we are going to take a few more steps from today. From today, in many parts of Delhi, where water supply is available twice a day, it will be reduced to a single time. The water that will be saved by the second time supply will be provided to water-deficient areas, where there is no water supply at all at present, and where water is coming for only 15-20 minutes, by rationalizing the second time water supply of some areas, water supply will be provided to the most affected areas.
“I know that where water is being supplied twice a day, people will be troubled by cutting off the water supply once a day, but I appeal to all the people of Delhi that we should not think only about ourselves, we should think about all the people of Delhi. Today we are standing in a difficult situation, where the raw water supply of Delhi is being stopped by Haryana, and in today’s situation, we cannot leave some parts of Delhi with absolutely zero water supply. I know there will be trouble but my request to everyone is that you cooperate in this,” Minister Atishi said.
Appealing to Delhiites, the Water Minister said, “Today, I appeal to all the residents of Delhi that whether there is a water problem in your area or there is no water problem in your area, please use the water supply very carefully. Today, when the water supply in Delhi has been reduced so much, when the water supply is not reaching many parts of Delhi at all, being a responsible citizen of Delhi, it is our responsibility that whoever is getting adequate supply, should not use it wastefully. Please do not wash your vehicles from open pipes. Supply water should not be used to wash vehicles anywhere, this is a very wasteful use of water, and a lot of water is wasted in it.
“Even today I saw that in many residential areas of South Delhi, water is flowing in the driveways outside people’s houses due to washing of vehicles. My appeal to everyone is that you should not wash vehicles. If this public appeal does not work in the next one or two days, then it is possible that we may have to impose a challan on excess user water. But right now we are appealing only to the people of Delhi,” She mentioned.
“Please take care of your motor while filling the water. Even now, water is overflowing from tanks in many parts of Delhi and coming on the roads. When there is such a shortage of water, this kind of misuse is very irresponsible. Day-to-day consumption in our homes is also there, wherever possible, utilize water in the best possible way, without wasting water, this is my appeal to all of you. Delhi is currently going through acute heat waves and Haryana is releasing very little amount of water in Delhi at this time, so it is the responsibility of all Delhiites that we come together and solve this problem together,” Minister Atishi appealed.
