DWARKA GOES PARCHED AFTER MUNAK CANAL BREACH

Dwarka City News
As is well known to most residents, the Munak Canal is a crucial water supply infrastructure located in Haryana. It was constructed to reduce water losses in the Western Yamuna Canal and to facilitate the efficient transport of water to Delhi. The canal also helps in managing water-sharing agreements between Haryana and Delhi. Between midnight and 2 am last Thursday, there was a breach in the canal’s Career Lined Channel (CLC), a sub-branch of Munak Canal which runs into Bawana. The breach led to flooding in nearby residential areas and also affected the water supply to several areas including the water treatment plant supplying to Dwarka.

The breach affected water treatment plants in Dwarka, Hyderpur, Bawana, and Nangloi. Dwarka water plant, relies entirely on the CLC and was affected the most. According to the Delhi government, it was the duty of the Haryana government to maintain the sub-canal. Meanwhile, a letter issued by the Lieutenant-Governor’s office to the Chief Secretary said that the breach underlines the absence of adequate maintenance of the canal, which “should have been undertaken by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) through Haryana Irrigation Department from time to time”. Minister, Ms. Atishi said the canal is maintained by the Haryana government and an inquiry will be conducted by the Irrigation departments of Delhi and Haryana into the reason behind the breach. Dwarka has been worst hit by the water shortage. Against the usual capacity of 50 million gallons per day (MGD) there, production has dwindled to 14MGD. There are around 350 housing societies in Dwarka and almost all are suffering because of the Munak Canal breach. There was sewage overflow in some areas too. According to residents of Dwarka, the DJB and other officials were cooperative in giving explanations and clarifications. However, it was beyond their control to offer any solution as to the expected restoration of water supply. Sudha Sinha, Mg. Editor, Dwarka City herself had a talk with Anil Sharma, Chief Engineer, DJB. She said, “The Chief Engineer was polite and assured that he will try his best to fix the problem at the earliest. In fact if such an emergency arises the DJB officials are helpless and we should understand that it takes time to fix any issue.” Anil Sharma, DJB Chief Engineer said, “The breach had been sealed and there was no leakage now. But because the concrete layering of the Carrier Lined Channel was to start, the flow of raw water could not resume early. But now we have started releasing water.” In this scenario, the water tanker mafia made merry and it was reported that they were charging as much as Rs 10,000 per tanker. Even drinking water bottles were going for a hefty premium. A 20 litre bottle was being sold at Rs 100 which usually costs between Rs 30 to 40. This was the case in Bharat Vihar where the water bottles were reportedly sold out by evening and later 5 litre bottles were sold at Rs 75. According to Brij Bhooshan, the scene was similar in most sectors such as Sector 3 and 5 markets where shopkeepers fleeced residents since there was no public water supply on those days. However, it is noteworthy that few societies managed the water crises very well and did not have to buy water. Informs Sudha Sinha, “DPS society managed the water issue very well. The MC gave strict instructions to use water judiciously. Mopping, car washing and washing clothes were discouraged. Thus the society saved on a lot of water.”

Complaints are still pouring in -
Dwarka Sub-city has multi storeyed buildings, malls, hotels, shopping complexes etc. The population in and around Dwarka is around 12,00,000 i.e, more than 5% of total Delhi population and population covers the poor, middle and elite class. It is a problem that cannot be taken lightly. In summer, it faces the problem of acute shortage of water in certain pockets and its main reason is distance from boosting pump stations. The residences which fall in close vicinity of boosting pump stations, get sufficient water and other sufferings. Recently CLC canal was damaged near JJC Iradat Nagar and water supply to Dwarka became zero, causing big hardship to all residents. To overcome the problem, the following is proposed-1. To cover any eventuality there should be minimum storage of three days. 2. More boosting pumps to be installed. 3. All sources of water should be interlinked to take care of any eventuality. 4. There should be sufficient tankers easily available to cater and meet the emergency requirement at reasonable price and their contact details should be easily available. 5. DJB helpline should be proactive.
S. K Agarwal, President, Godrej CGHS

Water scarcity in Dwarka has emerged as a critical issue due to a breach in the carrier-lined canal branch, resulting in a complete suspension of the water supply for three days. This crisis has compelled residents to depend on private water tankers, which have significantly increased their prices, rendering them unaffordable for many. The Vrindavan CGHS, Management Committee has been working tirelessly for two consecutive nights to manage the water supply. Despite their efforts, the water procured is often contaminated with mud, necessitating the additional purchase of clean drinking water. This situation has led to health issues among the elderly and children. In response to the crisis, the government has taken swift action, resolving the immediate problem within three days. However, it is anticipated that it will take 3-4 weeks for the situation to fully return to normalcy.
Mitendra Anand, President, Vrindavan CGHS

Regarding water crises I want to give suggestions-
1. DJB should have sufficient water storage capacity/ water reservoirs to cater for such unforeseen contingency. 2. Automatic allocation of DJB water tankers to the CGHS Societies depending upon the number of flats. To avoid panic and to ensure transparency. 3. DJB should give real time information. Politically motivated or influenced information about restoration of DJB water supply has been proved wrong and has become untrustworthy. 4. Local MPs and MLA should come forward to the field to resolve the crisis.
Col. Hemant Jain, President, Mansarover Appt. Sector 5

We were facing scarcity for the past few days and this has only worsened the situation. There is a severe shortage of water in our society and DJB officials informed us it would take two-three days for normal supply. Until then, we’ll have to buy water. The tankers are also charging a higher amount than usual. Today also there was no morning water supply. In some pockets, there has been no supply since last week. This is in addition to the problem of dirty and smelly water.
Madhav Pandey
Studio Appt., Sector-16B

Dwarka has been experiencing a severe water crisis since April this year, affecting its numerous housing societies and other residential areas within the sub city. The situation was exacerbated by a recent breach in the Munak Canal, which is a primary water source for the area. Several societies have yet to receive normal water supply after breach in Munak Canal. Here are some key points about the crisis:
1. Single Source Dependency -The Munak Canal is the only source that supplies water to Dwarka water plant. Any problem in this source leads to sharp decline in the availability of water for Dwarka area. The recent breach has exposed the vulnerability of having a single source of water, causing severe shortages. 2. Impact on Residents- Housing societies in Dwarka faced acute water shortages. Residents had to endure reduced water supply, leading to significant inconvenience and distress. Daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, and bathing were severely affected. 3. Reliance on Water Tankers- Due to the shortfall, many housing societies have turned to private water tankers as an alternative. However, this solution is costly and not sustainable in the long run, putting additional financial strain on residents. 4. Quality Concerns- With the increased dependence on water tankers, there are concerns about the quality of water being supplied. Unregulated sources pose health risks to the residents. 5- Need for Infrastructure Improvement- The crisis underscores the urgent need for improving and diversifying the water supply infrastructure for Dwarka area. This includes developing additional water sources, and implementing water conservation measures. 6-Government Response- Authorities need to take swift action to restore the water supply in case of disruptions due to fault. Long-term plans should also focus on creating a more resilient water supply system to prevent similar crises in the future. The water crisis in Dwarka's housing societies is a pressing issue that requires immediate and comprehensive intervention to alleviate the current distress and build a more sustainable and resilient water supply infrastructure for the future.
Saquib Rasool, President, Shahjahanabad Appt., Sector-11

We have to suffer from water shortage for at least a few days in the summer for the last 3 years. But this year the problem was acute. We did not get water for 3 days. The tankers are also not coming. We got water on Tuesday night. For this I am thankful to DJB for resolving the issue of Munak canal and releasing water.
Shobnath, President, Kautilya Apartments, Sector-14

This incident has highlighted the inefficiency of the Delhi Government in meeting citizens' essential service demands during disaster conditions. Surprisingly, the government appears unprepared and incapable of handling adverse scenarios. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) also seems to be an unprofessional government organization. When I called their head office, they admitted that Dwarka DJB employees do not answer the phone and that they have no information. In Dwarka, DJB lacks proper communication with the general public and fails to issue public notices, which is highly unprofessional for a government body.
Ms. Sarita, Secretary, Happy Home CGHS