Dwarka water plant likely to open on March 1

[SK MALIK]

 

 

Dwarka water plant likely to open on March 1

 

TOI Neha Lalchandani| Feb 25, 2015, 02.00 AM IST

 

NEW DELHI: On March 1, Manish Sisodia is expected to inaugurate the Dwarka water treatment plant which will greatly ease the situation in Dwarka, Najafgarh and neighbouring areas when it becomes operational.

However, while elaborate arrangements are in place for the ceremony, the plant with a capacity of 40 million gallons per day is barely producing 10 million gallons per day of water since Haryana is not supplying it with additional water.

While the water minister could not be contacted for comments, sources said the inauguration could be used to leverage Delhi's case in the high court.

Sisodia is also reportedly visiting the plant on February 27 for inspection. "What Haryana is doing is a clear violation of court order. Delhi is to receive 80MGD extra from Haryana to operate the Dwarka, Bawana and Okhla WTPs. We had started trial runs in Dwarka in the second week of February. However, by February 12, two days before the new government took oath, Haryana started curtailing supply," said a source.

Both Dwarka and Bawana plants are functioning partially, being supplied water from the Nangloi plant. "Bawana plant was constructed in 1998 and Dwarka in 2008, but both plants have been lying defunct. It took a lot of effort to start them and they are being run with water being diverted from Nangloi and other sources. This is not sustainable," said a source.

The dispute between the two states rests upon the Munak Canal, a new channel running parallel to the old Western Yamuna Canal from which Haryana used to supply water to Delhi.

The use of Munak was expected to save about 80MGD of water getting lost through the earlier canal in leakages. While Haryana claims it is supplying more than the fixed share of the capital's water, Delhi says that no extra water needs to be released and the savings from leakages automatically increase supply.