Munak water only after two months (Times of India 26 July 2011)

NEW DELHI: The Munak canal controversy between Delhi and Haryana was resolved recently but the city will reap the benefits of an extra 80 million gallons of water per day only after a couple of months. Work on the Delhi side of the canal will be completed around October which is when two new water treatment plants will be commissioned. It is expected that a third 40 MGD plant at Dwarka will be ready by March.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) officials said that the 20 MGD Bawana WTP was ready and would be commissioned as soon as the new channel became functional. The 20 MGD Okhla WTP is also almost ready and is likely to be commissioned in October as well.

"These plants will mostly benefit the north and south/southwest areas of Delhi. Places like Narela and Sangam Vihar will benefit greatly from the extra water. The remaining 40 MGD will be diverted to the Dwarka plant but that will be ready only in the first quarter of 2012. This is meant exclusively for the Dwarka township while some water will be diverted to IGI Airport," said an official.

Explaining the scope of work that remained, senior DJB officials said that about 100m of the Munak canal, that falls within Delhi's jurisdiction, remained to be completed but that work would be finished within a month.

"Only very basic work is left which can be completed within a month. It will take a maximum of two months to commission the canal. The problem with the Dwarka WTP is that while the plant itself is ready, the crucial connecting line between the plant and the Munak canal needs to be completed. There are massive encroachments on a 2.5-3km stretch of that line in northwest Delhi. We are in touch with Delhi Development Authority on the matter and have been assured that the issue will be sorted out shortly. We have also written to the L-G," said an official.

DJB has already paid Rs 350 crore to Haryana for the construction of the canal but the state has asked for another Rs 150 crore. While Rs 50 crore will be paid immediately, the remaining amount will be vetted by the central water commission.

Delhi gets 305 MGD water at Munak of which 30% is lost enroute to Haiderpur due to leakages and theft. The Munak canal, a 102-km long new channel, will bring down the losses to 5% and result in savings of 80 MGD. While Delhi claimed the savings as its share, Haryana was bent upon reducing Delhi's supply so that the capital would continue getting the same amount of water it receives at present.

"Delhi's share from Bhakra Beas is 185 MGD and from Yamuna at Tajewala it is 165 MGD. About 13% of this is lost enroute to Munak. "We only asked Haryana to continue releasing the 305 MGD that it is releasing at present from Munak and nothing extra. Why would Delhi pay Rs 500 crore for a facility that it won't accrue any benefits from?" asked an official.