NEW DELHI: Delhi’s increasing need for water can be met only by adopting measures such as rainwater harvesting and use of treated wastewater for purposes such as irrigation and sanitation, the Delhi Jal Board has said.
The DJB told the Delhi High Court that the national capital currently requires 1,140 million gallons per day (MGD) of water, and 935 MGD of it comes from groundwater and sources such as raw water from the Yamuna river.
By 2021, the city’s demand for water would increase to 1,380 MGD, and with groundwater sources in Delhi stressed, measures such as rainwater harvesting are needed to meet the capital’s requirements, the DJB told the court in an affidavit.
The Board also said that systems like rainwater harvesting and using treated wastewater for non-potable purposes would relieve the stress on groundwater and help to recharge it.
The DJB suggested that the civic bodies and Delhi Development Authority (DDA) strictly enforce the modified building bye-laws, according ing system is mandatory for a plot size of 100 square yards or more in order to get a building plan sanctioned and obtain a completion certificate.
The Board also suggested that public authorities, including the Public Works Department, the irrigation department, and park-owning agencies substitute the use of groundwater with adequately treated wastewater for horticulture and gardening.
The DJB filed its affidavit in connection with a petition initiated by the court on its own ports on the alleged failure of the Delhi government and other public authorities to check the falling groundwater levels in the national capital. Cities across the country are facing water crises following an erratic monsoon. According to a Niti Aayog report, more than 21 cities in the country could have zero groundwater by 2020.