No role in Yamuna pollution, DD 8 canal bunds to be removed: Hry

NEW DELHI: The Haryana government on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that it had already given directions to remove the bunds (obstructions) on the DD 8 canal after the Delhi government raised objections to the obstructions.

The Delhi government had moved the high court alleging that the DD-8 channel, which supplies additional water to the Yamuna to dilute its pollution levels had been blocked by Haryana and, therefore, the water received at Wazirabad contained high doses of ammonia.

Delhi had said this water could hence not be treated.

Following this, the court had asked the Haryana government to clear its stand on the allegation. On Tuesday, the neighbour- ing state filed an affidavit in the court, informing it that bunds were put in the DD-8 canal to ensure that pollution from it does not flow into the Yamuna.

Denying the allegations of creating pollution, Haryana government said that Delhi was the major contributor of ammonia in the waters of Yamuna and Haryana had no role in polluting the water.

Haryana government informed the court that out of the 1000 million gallons per day (MGD) Delhi’s water requirement, 500 MGD good quality water is supplied through its canals while 440 MGD is supplied through the Ganga and tube wells. Only remaining 60 MGD is sourced directly from Yamuna which would contain a high concentration of ammonia.

Appearing for the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), senior advocate Dayan Krishnan and advocate Sumeet Pushkarna, told the bench that they need to go through the affidavit and sought time to respond to it. Following this, the court directed Haryana government to remove the bunds and gave time to DJB till March 13 to respond to the claims made by Haryana in its affidavit.

The Haryana government also told the court that the water supply never gets affected during lean season adding that Delhi should take urgent steps to reduce its losses which are alleged to be 10 per cent during treatment and 30 per cent after that, as residents of Haryana suffer from dearth of water to ensure the national capital does not. it further said that “any deficiency in the water supply to the citizens of Delhi is because of mismanagement and inaction on the part of the DJB”.