Water treatment plant capacity in Delhi slightly increases in 2023, Economic Survey reveals

According to the city’s Economic Survey, the water treatment plant capacity in Delhi experienced a minor increase in 2023 compared to the previous year. Finance Minister Atishi presented the city’s Economic Survey findings in the Delhi Assembly on Friday.

The report detailed that the capacity of the water treatment plants was 943 MGD (million gallons per day) in 2022, and it grew by 0.31 per cent to reach 946 MGD in 2023.

Under a scheme ensuring free water up to 20 kiloliters to every household with a metered water connection, around 24.72 lakh consumers have benefited since its initiation, the report noted.

It mentioned that about 93.5 per cent of Delhi households now have access to piped water supply. During the summer season, the treatment plants consistently produce around 1,000 MGD of water.

The water supply network, comprising 15,473-km-long pipelines and over 117 underground reservoirs (UGRs), supplies water to approximately 21.5 million people in Delhi.

The report stated that the total water requirement for Delhi, based on a per capita requirement of 60 gallons per day (GPCD), is 1,290 MGD for the estimated population.

The water requirement for domestic use is 172 LPCD (liters per capita per day), while industrial, commercial, and community requirements, based on 45,000 liters per hectare per day, amount to 47 LPCD. Additionally, fire protection needs, at 3 LPCD, and special uses like hotels and embassies, at 52 LPCD, are also considered.

To meet the rising water demand, particularly due to limited surface water sources, frequent pollution in raw water sources, and increased dependence on groundwater, plans include the augmentation of new tube wells, which will blend groundwater with surface water to meet permissible drinking limits.

The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) currently operates 5,169 functional tube wells and 11 functional ranney wells along the Yamuna river. Furthermore, efforts are underway to explore the floodplains of Yamuna and areas near Najafgarh Lake for sustainable water extraction.

Moreover, DJB is rejuvenating 64 water bodies, with 39 already completed, and tenders called for the remaining 25. Additionally, works to create a water body at Timarpur Oxidation Pond, Dwarka, Pappankala, Rohini, Nilothi, and to revive Roshanara Lake are ongoing.

The aim of these initiatives is to clean the existing water bodies, restore their ecological values, and establish sustainable management practices in the long run.

The water tariff policy in Delhi follows the principle of ‘use more, pay more,’ discouraging excessive or wasteful water consumption. In 2022-23, DJB collected Rs 1,294.86 crore under this policy.

DJB has facilitated rainwater harvesting in 594 installations and provided technical assistance to individuals and institutions interested in implementing rainwater harvesting. Information regarding rainwater harvesting is also available on the DJB website for public convenience.

(With PTI inputs)