HIGHLIGHTS
• Schools closed, exams postponed; government begins water rationing
• Water treatment plants closed, areas affected are West Delhi, North-West, Central, South and part of North Delhi
NEW DELHI: With the Jat unrest in Haryana taking a toll on the water supply in Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday announced that there is no water left in the national capital and that the crisis is expected to last for at least two days.
"Due to the agitation in Haryana, the water that comes to Delhi from the Munak canal has been stopped since the past two days and there has been no water supply since, resulting in a severe water crisis. We are talking to the Central Home Ministry and the Haryana Ministry to try and open to canal. I spoke to Rajnath Singh yesterday, appealing to deploy Army troops to help in restoring water supply," Kejriwal told the media here after an emergency meeting at his residence.
"Due to the agitation in Haryana, the water that comes to Delhi from the Munak canal has been stopped since the past two days and there has been no water supply since, resulting in a severe water crisis. We are talking to the Central Home Ministry and the Haryana Ministry to try and open to canal. I spoke to Rajnath Singh yesterday, appealing to deploy Army troops to help in restoring water supply," Kejriwal told the media here after an emergency meeting at his residence.
Asserting that Delhi needs to gear up to battle the severe water crisis, he added that barring the President, Prime Minister, Chief Justice of India, defence installations, hospitals and the fire brigade, the remaining water will be rationed equally across Delhi."Water is almost over in Delhi and I appeal to everyone to conserve water as much as they can, as they will have to survive with that for at least two days. Even if the water supply is resumed from the canal, the water treatment plants will take at least 24 hours to activate," Kejriwal said.
The chief minister also said that in light of the water crisis, all schools have been closed on Monday and all exams that have been scheduled for tomorrow have also been postponed.
"Hopefully a solution emerges soon. There is hardly any water left and many water treatment plants have been closed. The remaining water from the reservoirs will be transported to different areas through tankers," he added.
Kejriwal had earlier called for equal responsibility to be shared between the public and VIPs amid the state of a water crisis in the national capital.
"Del facing unprecedented water crisis. Soon, water will have to be rationed. Shudn't scarcity be equally shared betn public n VIPs?" Kejriwal tweeted early on Sunday.
The morning water supply on Sunday will be available at low pressure as only 60% of water is available for supply.
The supply sources of water feeding the seven treatment plants have completely dried up and as a result all these plants had to be shut down.
The areas affected due to the closure of plants are West Delhi, North-West, Central, South and part of North Delhi. "Against the total production of 820 Million Gallons per day (MGD) of potable water, only 240 MGD is being produced, because of the disruption of the supply source from Haryana. DJB's tanker fleet has been fully redirected to the water deficient areas. The situation at Wazirabad is being constantly monitored. In this emergent situation, the people of Delhi are requested to use water with the utmost care," a statement by the Delhi Jal Board said.
