To plug leakage in water supply, 3,000 bulk meters to be installed

ARVIND KEJRIWAL SAID DELHI GETS 200 LITRES OF PER CAPITA WATER, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NO SHORTAGE It is good to know the govt is planning to start happiness classes in schools. This is really important in today’s hectic lives...

NEWDELHI: The Delhi government is installing nearly 3,000 bulk water meters across the city to plug leakages. Work will be completed by December 2018.

Delhi finance minister Manish Sisodia, while presenting the budget for 2018-19 at the Assembly on Thursday, said the government has come with a project of installing bulk water meters at all the water treatment plants, primary and secondary underground reservoirs (UGRS) to prevent water theft and help water audit on a daily basis.

“We will upload the entire data on bulk water meters on website so that citizens of Delhi could know that how much of water is being supplied to their colony by Delhi Jal Board,” Sisodia said.

The government for 2018-19 has allocated ₹2,777.50 crore for water supply and sewage treatment. This includes ₹427.50 crore for the 20 KL free water scheme which is benefitting around 4.5 lakh connections per month. The total allocation this time is 19.85% more than the revised estimate of 2017-18.

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who holds the water portfolio, later said that Delhi that has a population of about two crore gets 900 MGD water. This means that there is 200 litres of water per capita available per day which shows there is no shortage of water in Delhi, he said.

The government will set up sewage treatment plants in colonies of Burari, Chhatarpur, Kirari, Narela, Jindpur, Palla, Bawana, Kanjhwala, Badarpur, Mundka and Najafgarh.

“Delhi government is working to change the full concept of sewerage treatment. Earlier, large sewerage treatment plants were installed in Delhi. Delhi Jal Board gets 450 MGD water from these treatment plants, out of which only 89 MGD of water could be used and remaining 361 MGD water flows daily into the Yamuna,” Sisodia said.

Now, a small sewage treatment plant will be installed in a colony and treated water will be used by residents for toilets and horticulture purposes.

The water utility plans to lay internal sewer line in 162 colonies in Palam, Bijwasan, Matiyala, Dwarka, Najafgrah, Mundka, Rithala and Vikaspuri and these will be completed in phases by December 2020. The sewage from these colonies will be treated in Nilothi, Dwarka, Rithala and Najafgarh STPS and about 13 lakh people will benefit.

Of the 1,665 unauthorised colonies, piped water supply will be extended to remaining 456 by December in phased manner.

It cannot be expected that the capital will become a Wifi zone... But it is a good initiative by the government