Indian Express 30.09.2009
Upper Ganga Canal shut for repairs, will not hit city’s water supply: DJB
The UP Irrigation Department on Tuesday closed the Upper Ganga Canal for its annual maintenance exercise. A senior Delhi Jal Board (DJB) official said the canal will be closed till Diwali on October 17.
A communiqué issued by the DJB said the canal closure was an annual exercise planned for its maintenance during a period of least water requirement for irrigation.
Delhi receives its raw water supply from the Tehri Dam through the Upper Ganga Canal that is transported to the Capital via Muradnagar in western Uttar Pradesh for two of its water treatment plants (WTP) — the 100-MGD Bhagirathi plant and the 140-MGD Sonia Vihar plant.
“The Upper Ganga Canal, which starts at Haridwar, is closed at Muradnagar every year for cleaning and desilting. This is a pre-planned and pre-scheduled process, which doesn’t mean raw water supply to Delhi will be affected,” a senior DJB official said.
Raw water to run these plants would be arranged from alternative sources during this period, the DJB said.
“The Delhi Jal Board has already paid the UP Irrigation Department for creating on-line storage (storage in the canal) for meeting the raw water requirement of the Bhagirathi WTP. The matter has been discussed with UP irrigation officers and it has been assured that the supply of raw water from the on-line storage will be made available during the closure period,” the DJB release stated.
For the Sonia Vihar WTP, the DJB has decided to meet raw water needs through the surplus Yamuna water availability initially. Subsequently, as per requirement, Yamuna water from UP’s share will be arranged according to the 2006 standing decision of the Upper Yamuna Review Committee.
“It is expected that normal production will be maintained at these two plants during the entire closure period,” the release stated.
Areas that are supplied water by these two WTPs and might be affected by the shutdown are in East and South Delhi, including Patparganj, Preet Vihar, Lakshmi Nagar, Shahdara, Dilshad Garden, Mayur Vihar, Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Defence Colony, Lajpat Nagar, Panchshila Park and Panchshila Enclave.
