The Hindu 16.04.2013
Delhi banking on ‘new water’ to meet growing demand
The numbers are increasing and so is the demand for water. For the city’s water utility, the Delhi Jal Board, this is barely good news. With little possibility of finding newer sources of water for the city’s growing demand, the Jal Board is being pressed to recycle and reuse.
Three water recycling plants already adding about 30 MGD of water to the total available quantum, the Jal Board is stepping up efforts to utilise even the last drop. “Three recycling plants at Haiderpur, Wazirabad and Bagirathi water treatment plants are jointly contributing about 30 MGD to the system. We have envisaged increasing this figure to 45 MGD. By the end of the year we will be able to add another 10 MGD of water to the system when the recycling plant at Chandrawal is commissioned,” said a senior DJB official. Apart from the recycling plant at Chandrawal, which was earlier expected in 2011, the DJB has also turned to Singapore for help. It has its eye set on waste water treatment plant that will generate ‘new water’ for the city’s consumption. ‘New Water’, as it is popularly called, is treated sewage and waste water that is being increasingly used in cities where water is in short supply.
“The ‘new water’ plants are being set up to reduce the gap between demand and supply. We have already signed an agreement with the Singapore Cooperation Enterprise (SCE) and Temasek Foundation, Singapore (TF), to share their experience in planning and design of recycle and reuse of treated sewage and waste water on a public private partnership (PPP) basis,” the official said.
Delhi’s population has increased from 9.4 million in 1991 to 16.3 million in 2011 and is expected to go up to 23 million by 2021. “Nearly 50 lakh people live in unplanned habitations, it is therefore necessary to bank on reclamation of waste water from treatment process,” the official said.
As on date, Delhi gets about 845 MGD from surface sources and 100 MGD from groundwater sources, the total requirement is about 1080 MGD and the shortfall 235 MGD. The only likelihood of more water is the 80 MGD that Haryana has been withholding and 60 MGD that will be extracted through non-invasive technique from the Palla floodplains. The 80 MGD was the savings from the carrier lined channel (Munak), for which Delhi has paid over Rs.500 crore to Haryana. This water was also meant for three water treatment plants, a 40 MGD at Dwarka and 20 MGD each at Okhla and Bawana.
Reusing and recycling are also important given the falling groundwater levels. “Despite our efforts, illegal boring of water continues and there are several areas that are now in the critical zone,” the official said.
