The Hindu : New Delhi News : Trial run of Sonia Vihar plant begins

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jan 04, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Trial run of Sonia Vihar plant begins

By Our Staff Reporter

The Sonia Vihar water treatment plant where flushing and trial began on Monday.

NEW DELHI, JAN. 3. Following arrival of raw water from the Upper Ganga Canal near Muradnagar, flushing and trial run of the Sonia Vihar water treatment plant began here today, paving the way for what the Delhi Jal Board officers claims a "happy summer" for the water starved residents of South Delhi.

Senior officials of the DJB including its Chief Executive Officer, Rakesh Mohan, were present at the time of beginning of the trial operations and flushing of the Sonia Vihar plant. The eagerly awaited function was kept a low-key affair in the wake of the tsunami tragedy down South. Initially, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, was scheduled to inaugurate the trial run.

Mr. Mohan said the trial run and flushing of the plant -- having a capacity of 140 million gallons of water per day (MGD) -- would continue for about 75 days. "All the primary exercises relating to operation of the plant and conveyance system would be taken up during this period," he said.

Appreciating the decision of the Uttar Pradesh Government to release 80 cusecs of water per day for trial run of the Sonia Vihar plant, Mr. Mohan said the water was being released by the U.P. Irrigation Department from Upper Ganga Canal in Muradnagar. Thereafter the raw water is transported to the plant through a 30-km long conduit, he said. The U.P. Jal Nigam constructed the conduit.

Following the trial run, the DJB hopes to get the required raw water from Tehri Dam for regular supply of drinking water to the water-starved areas of the city, particular South Delhi. "From next summer, people of these areas including Vasant Kunj, Lajpat Nagar and Savita Vihar would not face any shortage of water. For the first time in several years, they would receive more than adequate quantity of water," a senior DJB official said.

As per an U.P. Government directive, an official of the U.P. Irrigation Department said, the water to be released to Delhi was a temporary arrangement. "It is only for the trial run and flushing of the Sonia Vihar plant. This water is not for any other use. The DJB has to discharge the entire water into the Yamuna for use by our farmers. This arrangement is valid only for two and half months after which we would stop releasing water to Delhi," the official said.

Said to be a state-of-the-art water treatment plant using the latest technology, the Sonia Vihar plant has been constructed by Degremont, multinational water giant. As per an agreement with the Delhi Jal Board, the company is also responsible for its operation and maintenance for the next ten years. "After this the plant would be handed over to DJB," a senior DJB official said.

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