Delhi in for better water management following study
15 Mar 2008
New Delhi: According to the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), in a study conducted by Price Water House Coopers in 2003-04, no ranking was given to Delhi's water management.
The study, which was conducted by Tata Consulting Engineers, had advised construction of 53 additional underground reservoirs and booster pumping stations in Delhi, to rationalise water supply to different areas of National Capital.
In a statement to the Lok Sabha, minister of state for urban development Ajay Maken said that about 14 of these underground reservoirs have already been commissioned, and another nine are likely to be commissioned this year. After commissioning of these reservoirs, the supply of water shall be made through them and direct tappings from the trunk mains shall be removed.
Besides improving water management, Delhi Jal Board has already placed a supply order for 305 bulk meters to be installed on all major distribution points. After the installation of these bulk meters, a precise water accounting would be possible and the non revenue water identified area-wise, the minister said.
Maken said that the incidence of non-revenue water is also because of poor metering, as in the absence of meters, the supply is being billed on flat rate basis, which results in the water billed being much less than the actual consumption. He said steps for procurement of domestic meters have been initiated.
The DJB has also engaged a Consultant for the survey and preparation of document for out soourcing maintenance and leakage management of water mains, which is about 500 kilometres long. The minister said that leakages from water mains shall be efficiently managed after award of this work.
Other short and long term measures to enhance the water availability in Delhi include construction of independent lined canal from Munak to Haiderpur, construction of recycling plants, development of tube-wells in the National Capital Region, additional allocation from surplus Ravi Beas water, construction of up-stream storage projects. etc. The minister said that some of these are still in the proposal stages, while some measures have already been taken.