The Hindu : New Delhi News : Govt. bullish on getting U.P. water

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 22, 2005

New Delhi

New Delhi

Govt. bullish on getting U.P. water

Sujay Mehdudia

Meeting in Lucknow to decide on the issue Even if water is released now, Delhiites will actually get the supply only in the first week of August. At least one month's time would be needed to flush and re-charge the plant.

NEW DELHI: With Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav softening his stand on release of much needed raw water to Delhi, the Sheila Dikshit Government here is confident that it is only a matter of time before the Capital starts getting extra water for making the controversial 140 MGD Sonia Vihar water treatment plant operational. Channels of negotiation have also been opened with the Haryana Government to get it to release extra raw water into the Yamuna for Delhi.

A meeting of the Water and Irrigation Department of Uttar Pradesh is slated for Wednesday where the crucial decision on how much water should be released to Delhi would be taken. Although Mr. Yadav has gone soft on the issue, the same cannot be said about his prime ally, the Rashtriya Lok Dal. The RLD president, Ajit Singh, has threatened to review support to the Mulayam Singh Government and warned that it would uproot water pipelines at Muradnagar if water were released for Delhi. However, it is understood that Uttar Pradesh's Water and Irrigation Minister, Munna Singh Chauhan, will chair the meeting on Wednesday and in most likelihood Delhi is expected to get almost 150 to 170 cusecs of water in the initial stage.

A senior Delhi Jal Board official has been posted in Lucknow to get the official notification on release of water. The DJB officials as well the higher ups in the Delhi Government are cautious this time round and do not want to jump the gun before they have anything concrete in hand.

It is learnt that DJB officials are upset with Delhi Chief Secretary S. Regunathan for not taking them into confidence on an issue that concerns them. This time round, it is understood that DJB officials are constantly monitoring the situation and any formal announcement on release of water will only be made after it has got a formal notification from the UP Government.

"We do not want to land ourselves as well as the political leadership in any embarrassing situation. The Member (Water), S. S. Mondol, is looking into everything and till late this evening there was no word on release of water from Uttar Pradesh,'' said a senior official on Tuesday.

However, DJB officials are of the view that even if water is released now, residents of the Capital will actually get the supply only in the first week of August. At least one month's time would be needed to flush and re-charge the plant.

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