Water crisis looms over Delhi as 6 inches water left in river Yamuna

New Delhi: The National Capital is on the verge of an acute shortage of drinking water as the depth of water at the Wazirabad barrage, which is its main source of water, has reduced from its normal 8 ft average to this year’s lowest level of 0.5 ft.

In view of this alarming situation, the Delhi government has urged the Haryana government to release its share of water in the Yamuna river so that the capital could have an uninterrupted water supply.

The amount of water being released from Haryana toward Delhi is noted by the water level at the Wazirabad barrage.

“The level of water at the Wazirabad barrage is drastically low, which has caused a water shortage in most areas of the city,” said the Delhi government.

Delhi Jal Board Vice Chairman Saurabh Bhardwaj also expressed deep concern over the Yamuna’s dipping water levels and said, “As of today, the water level in the Wazirabad barrage has dropped from the normal 674.5 feet to the lowest level of the year at 667.70 feet.”

“This indicates that the water level is approximately 8 feet below the surface.” If you look at the Yamuna, you’ll notice that the depth of the water is only about half a foot, ranging from 6 inches to half a foot, “he said.

Delhi is a landlocked city. Most of the water supply here comes from the rivers that come from neighboring states.

UP supplies water from the Ganga and Haryana supplies water from the Yamuna. At the same time, some water is also supplied from Bhakra Nangal in Punjab.

Out of these, the maximum water supply comes from Haryana. The Yamuna enters Delhi at 15 km before the Wazirabad Barrage at Palla, a major reservoir in Delhi.

The Wazirabad Barrage was built in 1959 on the Yamuna River in North Delhi. The water level of Wazirabad pond has come down to the minimum level of 667 feet this year.

In this regard, the Delhi Jal Board is continuously demanding action from the Haryana Irrigation Department to improve the situation.

Water production from water treatment plants in Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla has been affected due to less water being released by Haryana into the Yamuna river.

” In such a situation, the water supply may remain affected in some areas till the water level improves. People troubled by the shortage of water can contact the number 1916 for tanker supply” It said.