Water woes: 'Delhi could face fate of Cape Town'

NEW DELHI: Cautioning that Delhi could face the fate of Cape Town, where taps are drying up, in the next 15 years, Niti Aayog vice-chairman Rajiv Kumar said on Thursday while proposing to set up Yamuna River Authority to take necessary steps to avoid water crisis in the capital.


“There could be a situation and I am not exaggerating, that we could be in the next 15 years and so, completely bereft of water. We may face Cape Town-like situation. We will try and set up Yamuna River Authority which will combine work of different departments,” Kumar said at an event chaired by river development minister Nitin Gadkari.

He said immediate measures needed to be taken to prevent the crisis. Cape Town, a coastal city in South Africa, has been facing a severe water shortage since 2015.

Gadkari said there are 27 departments and agencies that are dealing with issues relating to Yamuna river. “DDA is reponsisble for river front development, DJB for discharging treated water to rivers and the ministry for providing funds for cleaning of the river. We will work with Niti Aayog to explore this possibility to revive the river,” the minister said.

“Bringing all activities under the control of one agency will help expedite the work. There has to be major participation of people in cleaning the river and sustain it,” said Rajiv Singh convenor of Yamuna Swachhta Manch, an entity under the drinking water and sanitation ministry.