India News | Ensure 24x7 Water Supply Translates into Round-the-clock Water in Pipelines: Delhi CM to Officials

New Delhi, Aug 6 (PTI) Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday asked officers to ensure that 24x7 water supply actually translates into round-the-clock water availability in the pipelines.

The chief minister reviewed the ongoing projects and action plan for the future initiatives of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) at a meeting held here.

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“The Delhi government will not make any false promises to the people of Delhi. Officers should have a complete understanding of the on-ground reality and what we can deliver. While improving infrastructure, ensure that we supply water 24x7 to the households,” a statement quoted him as saying. “The project of providing 100 percent sewerage connectivity across Delhi should be completed within the stipulated timeline,” he said.

In its manifesto for the Delhi Assembly elections held in February last year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had promised 24x7 water supply in the capital by 2024.

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The DJB first discussed the ambitious idea of continuous water supply in 2009 and started pilot projects in January 2013, aiming at providing 24x7 water to every consumer in Malviya Nagar, Nangloi and Mehrauli-Vasant Vihar areas.

According to officials, the deadline to complete the work was December 2014. The DJB said these pilot projects cater to Delhil's 12 per cent population.

In Malviya Nagar, 98 per cent of the project has been completed. The remaining two per cent will be completed by the end of September.

In Nangloi and Mehrauli-Vasant Vihar, 76 per cent and 77 per cent of the work has been completed, respectively. The projects will be completed by March 2021, the water utility said.

It said that 11 per cent population of Delhi will be covered under 24x7 water supply projects being taken up under the command of the Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant.

According to the DJB, water pipelines have been laid in 1,633 of the 1,799 unauthorised colonies in Delhi. Piped water supply has been provided in 1,573 of them.

As part of the 24x7 water supply project, the capital will be divided into five to six zones and each zone will be assigned to one private operator for 15 years, officials said.

The operator will be responsible for operation and maintenance of water supply lines, sewers lines and pumping stations.

The DJB will have control over all water treatment plants, sewage treatment plants and primary underground reservoirs.

At present, the utility floats a separate tender for each work. Now, we will award these works to one operator for 15 years to save time and resources, an official said.

On an average, each household in Delhi gets around four hours of water supply per day. The DJB supplies around 935 million gallons of water per day (MGD) against the demand of 1,150 MGD.

Officials said there will be no change in the water demand when the 24x7 water supply project is implemented.

It will be the responsibility of the operator to minimise water leaks and thefts, officials said.

In Delhi, around 42 per cent of water gets stolen or leaked, according to official data. PTI GVS

(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)