NEW DELHI: To curb rampant water theft and ensure uninterrupted supply to the capital, the Delhi Jal Board is considering deploying the Territorial Army along the banks of the Munak Canal. Officials say the move comes amid alarming daily water losses of up to 35 percent due to illegal siphoning and seepage.
The Munak Canal, which supplies around 1,050 cusecs of water to Delhi every day, branches into two critical channels — the DSB and the CLC canals. An internal assessment by the Jal Board over the past several days revealed that nearly 30 percent of the water from the DSB branch and about 5 percent from the CLC branch never reaches its intended destination.
Officials said efforts are underway to deploy the Territorial Army for round-the-clock patrolling along the canal routes to prevent illegal diversion of water. Theft is not the only culprit. Officials pointed out that a portion of the loss also occurs naturally, as some water seeps into the ground — especially in areas where canal linings are incomplete or damaged. However, the Jal Board believes theft accounts for a significant share of the total loss.
“Some water is absorbed by the ground and some is stolen by the water tanker mafia, but our assessment showed that theft is the major cause behind the paucity of water in Munak,” an official said.
Until the canal’s concrete lining is fully reinforced, officials say a security presence is the only viable deterrent against such organised pilferage — especially amid growing concerns over water scarcity during peak summer months.
Earlier, the government had proposed deploying the Territorial Army to preserve the natural state of the Yamuna River and to curb illegal activities polluting the water.