The Delhi government’s scheme to provide free water up to 20,000 litres per month has helped to conserve the precious resource in Delhi, finance minister Manish Sisodia said in his budget speech on Tuesday.

“Because of this scheme, more people have got into the habit of saving water. Before the implementation of the plan in 2015, five lakh families used to use less than 20,000 litres of water per month. The number has increased to 13.67 lakh now,” Sisodia said.

While the national capital faces an acute water crises every summer, a 2018 report of NITI Ayog had warned that Delhi, along with several other major Indian cities, would run out of groundwater by 2020.

“We have made a plan to make Delhi self-reliant in the water sector. It has three main points — constructing underground reservoirs for storing additional rainwater and flood waters of the Yamuna, storing rainwater in different parts of Delhi, which would enhance the groundwater level, and thirdly, treating sewage water at different places and stored at local points,” he added.

While Delhi gets around 900 million gallons of water per day (MGD) from the Ganga, the Yamuna and groundwater, the total requirement is of 1,125 MGD.

To increase the groundwater level, the government had proposed some new schemes, including construction of a reservoir over 1,000 acres in the Palla Yamuna floodplains, rejuvenation of canals for harvesting flood water and rejuvenation and preservation of water bodies.

Besides these, new water treatment plants are being constructed, including a 50 MGD unit in Dwarka.

In the last four years, at least 406 colonies, where people had to depend on water tankers, have been linked to the water supply network. By March 2020, water pipelines would be laid in 142 unauthorised colonies.

Sisodia said at least 92% work on the interceptor sewer project to clean up the Yamuna was complete. Around 110 MGD waste water is being treated at sewage treatment plants.

The government plans to develop the area around Signature Bridge as a world-class tourist destination.

“The landscape across the area will be developed in an environment-friendly manner. A tourist amenity and information centre will be provided with a shuttle service and a guided tour of the bridge. A consultant is being appointed for preparatory work to develop the river front,” he said.

At least 127 km of the old distribution water pipeline network was replaced in 2018-19 to prevent contamination.

First Published: Feb 27, 2019 01:51 IST