The Hindu : New Delhi News : Sheila sees water crisis for Sonia Vihar plant

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 06, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Sheila sees water crisis for Sonia Vihar plant

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, APRIL 5. Conceding that her Government was worried about availability of raw water from the Tehri Dam for the 140 million gallons a day (MGD) Sonia Vihar water treatment plant, the Delhi Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit, today declared in the Assembly that she was ready to approach the highest authority to get this share of water for the Capital.

Ms. Dikshit reassured the House and the people that the Delhi Jal Board was not being privatised. "I have no other means to convince the people that no privatisation would take place. Commodities like water are not privatised and wherever such attempts have been made, they have failed. I am not Hanuman who can just throw open his chest and reveal what is the truth,'' she told the House in reply to a short duration discussion initiated by Kanwar Karan Singh (Congress) and Ramvir Singh Bidhuri (NCP) on the water and power problems in the Capital. The emotional outburst of the Chief Minister on the issue of privatisation indicated that the pressure of the people's movement as well as the Central leadership had forced her to take such a stand.

Stating that a lot had been said and written about the Sonia Vihar plant, the Chief Minister claimed that a transparent process was followed on tenders and in awarding the construction of the plant. The technology selected was one of the best in the world and there should not be any fear on this front. Ms. Dikshit said she was worried about the raw water availability from Tehri Dam and informed that another round of flushing would take place for 60 days whenever water was made available. She informed that negotiations for obtaining water from the Tehri Dam were going on and the Union Ministry for Water Resources would be convening a meeting in this connection very soon. "There was enough water in Tehri Dam but that has to be tied up for being channelised to Delhi. The Uttaranchal Chief Minister has no role to play in the whole affair and it is Uttar Pradesh Government that has to provide water from upper Ganga canal."

The Chief Minister said it was Delhi's right to get raw water and being the National Capital it should get priority, but Delhi had been made to stand with a begging bowl for water.

Earlier, initiating the discussion, Mr. Karan Singh said it was under the leadership of Ms. Dikshit that Delhi had increased its water generation capacity by 75 MGD. He said the country's biggest water treatment plant had come up at Sonia Vihar and efforts were on to get raw water for it. In addition to this, another 80 cusecs of water was expected to flow from the Munak Canal channel from Haryana, which was a big achievement. Ridiculing the BJP for launching a misleading campaign, Mr. Singh said the number of tankers employed by the Delhi Jal Board should be increased this summer. He also pleaded for enhancing the assistance given to various categories for starting water harvesting project. The legislator also pleaded with the Chief Minister to lower the water tariff on the 30 to 40 kilolitre category from Rs. 7 to Rs. 5 to give relief to the middle class. On the power issue, Mr. Karan Singh suggested setting up of special committees under the leadership of the area MLAs to coordinate work with the private discoms, a move that was supported by Mr. Bidhuri.

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