Reduce water supply to VVIP areas: Dikshit to DJB

Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit Monday directed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to reduce water supply in Delhi's elite Lutyens zone, and distribute it to colonies which have been facing acute shortages for the last six days.

"In order to ensure the distribution of drinking water to everyone, the DJB and the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) have been directed to reduce the water supply in the Lutyen's zone, which has the chief minister's residence. The water saved can be evenly distributed especially to those colonies which have been facing acute shortage during the last six days," a statement from chief minister's office said.

The Lutyens' zone in central Delhi is home to India's top politicians and bureaucrats, besides industrialists.

"Being a VVIP area, the water is supplied 24 hours a day, With the chief minister's direction, we will reduce the supply. The duration is yet to be decided," said a NDMC official, pleading anonymity.

The capital has an average potable water demand of around 1,100 million gallons a day (MGD). But DJB supplies only around 835 MGD. Now, the demand-supply gap has further widened with the water supply to various treatment plants in Delhi from neighbouring Haryana being reduced.

"We have been sincerely striving to overcome this extraordinary situation created by the reduced supply of water by the government of Haryana. The government is sensitive to the needs of the citizens of Delhi. We have taken up the issue of reduction in supply of raw water by the government of Haryana with Hon'ble Prime Minister and the Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Home Minister P. Chidambaram," the statement said.The GoM was set up by the prime minister after Delhi and Haryana failed to resolve the Munak canal dispute.

The Munak canal was constructed by Haryana with financial assistance of around Rs.412 by the Delhi government on the condition that the national capital will be supplied 80 MGD of water from it. Haryana later backtracked on this.

"Nobody will be allowed to take any political mileage on this issue," the statement added.