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Water Supply

Rs 1-cr water reservoir is now home to pigs: DJB survey

Thursday, 18 February 2010 11:17 administrator
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Indian Express 18.02.2010

Rs 1-cr water reservoir is now home to pigs: DJB survey

Express News Service Tags : water reservoir, delhi Posted: Thursday , Feb 18, 2010 at 0131 hrs

New Delhi: A Delhi Jal Board survey has revealed before the Central Information Commission (CIC) that a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) water supply system has become home for pigs and cattle, instead of housing equipment and pipelines taking water to Delhi residents.

Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi, who presided over the hearing, said: “A discussion with about 15 officers of the Delhi government indicates that the DDA appears to have spent about Rs 1 crore for laying a system of pipes and underground reservoir. The DJB claims that when the joint inspection was done it was found that the reservoir had no pipes or equipment for pumping and it was housing pigs and cattle.”

Gandhi was hearing an appeal by Jawahar Singh of Bindapur Pocket-4 area against the refusal by the Delhi government to disclose details of funds allocated for water supply to his “authorised colony”.

The DJB said water supply to Bindapur Pocket-4 is a distant reality and there are no inputs to “what happened to the money spent” on the project. “It is apparent that the Delhi government is incapable of supplying water, a basic function that the government has to fulfill. In spite of two chief secretaries loftily committing that water has to be supplied to this colony, there is no urgency or will to ensure that water is supplied to this colony,” Gandhi said.

The Commission directed a copy of its order to be sent to Chief Minister for perusal.

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 February 2010 11:21
 

Mumbai coastal waterway project may run into rough weather

Thursday, 18 February 2010 06:57 administrator
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Business Line 18.02.2010

Mumbai coastal waterway project may run into rough weather

Rahul Wadke

Mumbai, Feb. 17

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority's Rs 100-crore plan for a coastal waterway project on the eastern coastline of Mumbai looks set for rough weather, faced with environmental and security clearances, besides octroi worries.

Over the last 40 years, coastal waterways have been suggested for Mumbai by several transport planners. An attempt in the mid-1990s to connect the Gateway of India with Navi Mumbai using hovercrafts ran aground because of exorbitant fares and bad maintenance by the operators.

Latest proposals

MMRDA last week made the budgetary provision for a catamaran service connecting Ferry Wharf in central Mumbai with Navi Mumbai on the outer fringe of the city. A Roro service (a ferry that carries cars as well) was also planned connecting Ferry Wharf to Mandwa, near Alibaug. But the project could face inordinate delay in getting local clearances from a number of State Government bodies, besides environmental clearance from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, said a senior transportation expert and advisor to the State Government.

Last Updated on Thursday, 18 February 2010 07:03
 

Canal near-ready but Haryana says no water sharing

Wednesday, 17 February 2010 11:19 administrator
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Indian Express 17.02.2010

Canal near-ready but Haryana says no water sharing

Geeta Gupta Tags : haryana water canal case, delhi Posted: Wednesday, Feb 17, 2010 at 0037 hrs

New Delhi: The coming summer season looks bleak on the water front, despite the government’s efforts to upgrade and develop water supply infrastructure.

While the construction of the concrete channel parallel to the Western Yamuna Canal from Munak in Haryana to Wazirabad in Delhi is in the final stages, Haryana is not ready to give the additional water that will be available to Delhi after canal is operational.

Incidentally, the Delhi government has borne the entire project cost of Rs 550 crore. Initially supposed to be completed in 2006, the canal’s rescheduled deadline is this March-end.

Once completed, Munak Canal is expected to increase Delhi’s raw water supply by 80 million gallons a day (MGD) to run its three water treatment plants — the 20-MGD Okhla Water Treatment Plant, the 20-MGD Bawana plant, and the 50-MGD treatment plant at Dwarka.

While talks are on between Delhi and Haryana at both the chief minister-level and the chief secretary-level, the Sheila Dikshit government has requested Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to intervene in the matter, a top source in the Delhi government told Newsline.

“Haryana wants to utilise 80 MGD water saved through the canal in its own way,” the source said. “Why did Delhi spend Rs 550 crore on the project then? The Cabinet Secretary has asked chief secretaries of the two states to discuss and resolve the dispute but nothing positive has emerged so far.”

Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta confirmed that construction on the canal would be over by March-end. “We are still trying to resolve the water-sharing dispute with Haryana,” he added.

The canal is expected to prevent loss of water through seepage along the Western Yamuna Canal — the present 30-per cent loss of water is expected to come down to about 5 per cent once the canal is operational. The total length of the canal from Munak to Wazirabad is 102 km.

Under a Supreme Court ruling, Haryana is required to supply as much water to Delhi as is needed to maintain the Wazirabad pond level at 674.5 feet. But the state has refused to share water that would be saved by passing it through the canal.

Canal facts
* 102-km canal from Munak (Haryana) to Wazirabad (Delhi) expected to prevent loss of water through seepage along the Western Yamuna Canal
* Delhi govt funded Rs 550-cr canal project
* As per Supreme Court ruling, Haryana is required to supply as much water to Delhi as is needed to maintain Wazirabad pond’s level at 674.5 feet

Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 February 2010 11:22
 
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