Delhi’s Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, announced on Thursday that three water treatment plants (WTPs) in Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla had to be closed because of the high water levels in the Yamuna River. This decision has raised concerns about water scarcity in some parts of the city in the coming days.
The Chief Minister inspected the Wazirabad water treatment plant and stated that about 25% of Delhi’s water supply will be affected by the temporary closure of these plants. However, the government hopes to resume operations by Friday evening.
The water levels of the Yamuna River are higher than ever before, surpassing the 208-meter mark and currently flowing at over 208.60 meters. Because of this, the Wazirabad, Chandrawal, and Okhla water treatment plants had to be shut down as the water reached the pumping stations. As a result, there may be some water scarcity in parts of Delhi for one to two days.
The Chandrawal, Wazirabad, and Okhla WTPs have capacities of 90 million gallons per day (MGD), 135 MGD, and 20 MGD, respectively. These plants supply drinking water to several areas including northeast Delhi, central Delhi, west Delhi, parts of south Delhi, Delhi Cantonment, and New Delhi Municipal Council areas.
Kejriwal also mentioned that forecasts predicted further increase in water levels on Thursday. He advised people to limit their outdoor activities to necessary tasks and encouraged working from home. In low-lying areas, schools have been closed, and relief camps have been set up by the Delhi government to provide essential amenities.
According to the Central Water Commission, the water levels are expected to peak by 3 to 4 pm on Thursday and then gradually recede. At 1 pm, the water level of the Yamuna River reached a record high of 208.62 meters, surpassing the previous record from 1978.
