New Delhi, Jul 10 (PTI) Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said the Delhi government is ready to take over maintenance of Munak Canal that supplies fresh water to the national capital and will soon take up the issue with her Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini.

The move will help strengthen the canal and ensure uninterrupted water flow to Delhi, she said in a statement.

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The Delhi government also aims to maintain the surrounding areas of the canal to support effective organisation of religious and cultural events, the statement said.

Calling the Munak Canal a"lifeline of Delhi", Gupta said that she would soon discuss the matter with Saini.

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Gupta along with PWD Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh held a meeting with senior officials from Haryana, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), PWD, Forest department and other related agencies.

The chief minister cited "poor maintenance" of the canal, saying it flows openly through parts of Delhi with no effective security or pollution control measures.

In several places, the canal's lining (pitching) is damaged and some stretches remain unpaved, causing contamination, she added.

Gupta said such issues are highly concerning since the canal supplies water to around 20 lakh residents of Delhi.

The chief minister told the officials of Haryana during the meeting that if they face difficulties in maintaining the canal, the Delhi government is willing to take over its upkeep.

She assured them that Delhi has sufficient budget and it can manage the canal effectively. The Haryana officials offered no objection to Delhi's proposal, the statement said.

Munak Canal enters Delhi at Bawana and ends near Inderlok, covering a distance of approximately 20 kilometers.

"The land and maintenance of the canal within Delhi fall under the jurisdiction of the Haryana Irrigation Department. The Delhi government currently has no direct role," it added.

The canal, however, is crucial for Delhi as it supplies water to the Haiderpur Water Treatment Plant, which has a capacity of around 200 MGD (Million Gallons per Day), the statement said. PTI VIT

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)