Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena has requested CM Arvind Kejriwal to interfere. (Representational)
New Delhi:
Delhi Lieutenant Governor V Okay Saxena has written to Leader Minister Arvind Kejriwal, flagging the “depressing hygiene and sanitary prerequisites” on the Wazirabad Water Remedy Plant which provides ingesting water to very large portions of the nationwide capital.
Reacting to the letter, Delhi Water Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj accused the L-G of “enjoying grimy politics over the delicate factor of water provide” and claimed that unlawful sand mining in Haryana used to be blockading the provision of Yamuna water in opposition to the nationwide capital.
In what may cause a contemporary tussle between the L-G and the AAP executive, Mr Saxena additionally spoke about Delhi Jal Board’s “gross inactivity” in cleansing and desilting the reservoir pond in the back of the Wazirabad barrage which provides water to Wazirabad and Chandrawal Water Remedy Crops.
He claimed that Delhi misplaced over 9 lakh million gallons of water since the pond used to be no longer desilted.
“It’s with a way of deep misery that I search your pressing intervention into the situation prevalent on the Wazirabad Water Remedy Plant (WTP) and the feeder pond space at Wazirabad Barrage, that feeds the Wazirabad and Chandrawal WTPs,” the L-G’s letter learn.
Citing his seek advice from to the realm on March 9, Mr Saxena mentioned he witnessed “grave dereliction and prison overlook” of the WTP and the pond space which is leading to a “completely avoidable water scarcity”.
The plant itself is marred by way of rusted and trash-ridden reservoirs, corroded pipelines, silt-covered apparatus and power-guzzling water pumps, the letter alleged.
“Regardless of a desilting contract being in position since 2013, no de-siltation came about ensuing within the intensity of the pond lowering from 4.26 metres to a trifling 0.42 metres all the way through the final 8 years,” Mr Saxena mentioned.
Within the letter, he famous that the desilting paintings used to be stopped because of a keep order from the Nationwide Inexperienced Tribunal in September 2014 and used to be restarted after the keep used to be lifted in 2015.
“It’s price underlining right here that whilst in about 9 months between 2013 and 2014, 5 lakh cubic metres of silt used to be got rid of, after lifting of the keep by way of hon’ble NGT, within the length between 2015 to 2018, simply 1.1 cubic metres of silt used to be got rid of.
“Even thereafter, regardless of no paintings taking place, it took the DJB about 4 years to terminate the contract as overdue as February 2022,” the LG mentioned.
The pond saved getting silted and reduced in size. Of the 6.1 lakh cubic metres of silt got rid of between the dates when there used to be no keep on desilting, “just right silt” amounting to about 3 lakh cubic metres used to be bought by way of the contractor and the remainder used to be left on the website, which thereafter, reclogged the pond space, Mr Saxena claimed.
“Along with this, herbal siltation additionally saved going down and regularly ended in additional shrinking of the pond, thereby proportionately lowering Delhi’s capability to carry and retailer water – so very important to keeping up its provide, particularly all the way through time prone to the dearth,” he mentioned.
Mr Saxena, in his letter, mentioned that Delhi is now confronted with a state of affairs through which silt amounting to about 10 lakh cubic metres is once more clogging the pond space, lowering its protecting capability.
“A back-of-the-envelope calculation would carry out that all the way through the final 10 years, owing to the siltation of the pond space, Delhi, a territory virtually completely dependent upon different states for its water wishes, let just about 9,12,500 million gallons of water actually glide down the river.
“Had the pond garage space been purposeful to its complete capability, this water would have come to using the folk of Delhi. One is compelled to surprise right here as to what stage of mismanagement used to be finished at the a part of DJB to impact such acute wastage,” the L-G’s letter learn.
The pond had the capability to carry 250 million gallons of water, however it has now decreased by way of 93 consistent with cent because of siltation and will now cling simplest 16 million gallons, Mr Saxena claimed.
“Common water scarcity within the town, together with the only ahead of Holi, because of Wazirabad and Chandrawal water remedy vegetation no longer being totally operational is simply because of this reason why and no longer because of the Haryana Excuses that AAP makes to idiot the folk,” the letter alleged.
Mr Saxena, in his letter to Mr Kejriwal, suggested fast desilting and cleansing of the pond space and upgradation of the water remedy plant.
“It could even be very important that strict motion is initiated towards officers chargeable for this gross dereliction of responsibility and prison misconduct,” the letter learn.
“It is usually really helpful that visits geared toward supervision and tracking be undertaken frequently by way of government to spot shortcomings and rectify the similar in a concurrent approach,” it added.
Within the letter, the LG additionally posed a number of questions, together with what sort of water is being provided to the folk of Delhi, what’s its high quality and whether or not is it actually potable.
Reacting to the accusations, Water Minister and Delhi Jal Board Chairman Saurabh Bharadwaj requested the LG to take cognisance of unlawful sand mining in Haryana.
He claimed that unlawful sand mining in Haryana has been blockading the provision of Yamuna river’s water in opposition to the nationwide capital and the state is as an alternative liberating commercial wastewater in opposition to Delhi.
Mr Bharadwaj invited Mr Saxena on a joint inspection of those unlawful sand mining blocks in Haryana.
“The folks of Delhi really feel extraordinarily unhappy that the Hon’ble LG is enjoying grimy politics over the delicate factor of water provide in Delhi. Both he’s ignorant of the information or he’s intentionally doing affordable politics.
“The problem raised by way of him is because of the inefficiency and inactivity of the Haryana executive as a result of which the folk of Delhi are struggling. The Hon’ble LG is attempting to go the greenback of BJP-ruled Haryana’s fault at the Delhi executive,” he mentioned.
(Apart from for the headline, this tale has no longer been edited by way of NDTV group of workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
