The scarcity of water has led to hardships for people across the city. To address the pressing needs of the residents, the government has resorted to supplying water through tankers as a temporary measure.
The Delhi Jal Board’s recent bulletin, released on Saturday, reported that the city’s total water production has reached 994 million gallons per day.
However, the Wazirabad water treatment plant, which has a total capacity of 130 MGD, only produced 122 MGD, resulting in an 8 MGD deficit. The primary cause of this shortfall is the reduced supply of raw water from the Yamuna canal.
In light of the water shortage, Housing and Land Rights Network, an NGO focused on urban poverty issues, has suggested that the Delhi government identify high-risk areas where large numbers of homeless individuals reside or work, as they are particularly vulnerable to heat strokes and other heat-related health problems.
The organization has recommended the establishment of water distribution points for the homeless population, either by installing new municipal taps or deploying Delhi Jal Board water tankers to these areas.
The Delhi government has filed a plea with the Supreme Court, which is set to be heard on Monday by a vacation bench consisting of Justices P K Mishra and K V Viswanathan, according to the apex court’s cause list. The plea seeks an order directing the state of Haryana to release excess water supplied by Himachal Pradesh to Delhi, in an effort to alleviate the current water shortage faced by the national capital.