HC seeks replies from Haryana, Delhi on water supply through

The high court here today sought responses from Delhi and Haryana governments on supplying 330 cusecs of water a day through the Munak Canal to the national capital, instead of a sub-branch canal as an estimated 50 per cent of water sent through it is lost due to seepage.
A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar asked the authorities concerned of the two governments if the sub-branch canal can be repaired without disrupting water supply to Delhi.
The bench also sought the stand of the Delhi Jal Board on a PIL, which claimed that 100 per cent sewage treatment facility in the national capital would reduce the water crisis in the city.

The bench ordered the DJB to place before it its action plan on construction of sewerage facilities in Delhi, which the government agency proposes to do by 2031.
The court was hearing the plea filed by advocate S B Tripathi, who has said the population in Delhi was increasing each day, but the raw water available to the city was the same or decreasing.
"As per the information, currently water requirement for drinking is about 1080 MGD (million gallons per day) while the available water is about 900 MGD only," the plea said.

The petition, referring to a DJB affidavit filed in the court, said only 55 per cent of Delhi population has sewerage facility, while the remaining population was without sewerage.

It said that the sewage generation from the remaining 45 per cent unsewered area was flowing into drains and ultimately into the river Yamuna.
It said that if the sewage of the remaining 45 per cent population is treated, the water crisis in Delhi can be lessened.