News: Can't Give Water to 1 Lakh New Flats Under Landpooling Policy: Delhi Jal Board-01.11.2017
Can't give water to 1 lakh new flats under landpooling policy: Delhi Jal Board
The ambitious landpooling policy, which aims at planned development and additional housing in the capital, has hit another roadblock. This time, Delhi Jal Board has said that it can’t provide water in the areas to be developed under the new policy.
With a supply of 900 million gallons per day and no near possibility of getting additional water, DJB says that it can’t cater to any increase in water demand. DJB had raised this at a meeting chaired by LG Anil Baijal almost two months ago.
“With a shortfall of 300 MGD, we don’t have water to meet the existing requirement of the city,” said a senior DJB official.
DJB officials said Delhi could have had more water if the Renuka dam had been constructed. “There is no progress in the dam project, though Delhi has paid its share for it. The groundwater level has depleted. There is no possibility of getting additional water in the near future,” said a DJB official.
Landpooling policy would be implemented on vacant agricultural land in 95 villages. “DDA can only plan development of the area, it is DJB’s responsibility to provide water,” said a DDA official.
The LG has directed DDA and DJB to hire a consultant to find a solution. Without adequate water, DDA’s plan to build 1 lakh housing units by 2022 under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) would go bust.
DDA has been struggling to provide water in areas that were developed in the last decade. In Loknayakpuram in Bakkarwala (near Najafgarh), Rohini Sectors 34 and 35, and Narela Sector G2, DDA supplies drinking water through tankers. Flats in these localities were sold between 2006 and 2014.
“Till date, there is no direct DJB water supply,” said Vaibhav Puggal, former president of Pocket 5 RWA, Sector 35. A large number of flats put up for sale in the recent housing scheme are located in Rohini Sectors 34 and 35. DDA officials say that DJB has assured that by October 31 they would start supplying 2 MGD of water.
Delhi government has also started laying pipelines in over 300 unauthorised colonies. In 2016, DJB had decided not to accept work in new areas being developed. That’s why it hasn’t approved schemes to lay peripheral and internal water lines in Sectors G2-G6 and G7-G8 in Narela.
DDA officials claim they had got the schemes approved from DJB in 2010 and 2013, but DJB officials say DDA increased the number of housing units without taking permission. “They came to us for approval after starting work,” said a DJB official. Nearly 15,000 flats are at an advanced stage of construction in these two sectors.
Sources say lack of coordination between DDA and DJB is the main reason why several DDA areas are facing serious water crisis. DDA says efforts are being made to improve coordination after thousands of flats were returned by the allottees of the 2014 housing scheme. Those who bought the flats have been complaining of water shortage. “Though the situation has become slightly better in the last few months, even today there is no permanent solution to the water problem. Till recently, we didn’t get drinking water supply in our houses. Now, we get it once a day,” said Amitabh Ranjan, a resident of Pocket A of Loknayakpuram.
J P Agarwal, principal commissioner housing and in-charge of PMAY in Delhi, said, “We are doing advanced planning for sufficient water for all the projects. DJB has been informed about our plan and will have to find a solution to meet the water requirement of all housing projects of DDA, both ongoing and future ones that will come up under the landpooling policy.”
Experts say that provision for essential services like water should be made before starting construction. “Otherwise, we are creating a situation like Dwarka. DDA and DJB have been callous towards ensuring water supply in new developments. It could have been easily done by preserving small waterbodies,” said Shashank Shekhar, assistant professor of geology, Delhi University.
