Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday said the Delhi Government was eagerly awaiting the commissioning of Munak Canal, which will result in saving 80 MGD raw water, to help the city meet its demand for drinking water. Moreover, three water treatment plants lying idle at Dwarka, Okhla and Bawana are expected to become functional soon with the availability of more raw water.
Speaking at a function to lay the foundation stone for rehabilitation of sewers at Harsh Vihar in North-West Delhi, Ms. Dikshit, who is also the Chairperson of Delhi Jal Board, said she has taken up the issue of early commissioning of the Munak Canal with Prime Minister’s Office and Union Water Resource Ministry.
Ms. Dikshit, who also inaugurated two chaupals at Shakurpur village and Pitampura village, said the Delhi Government has been striving hard to provide all amenities to the citizens, but in view of the fast increasing population and limited resources, she exhorted the people to conserve and make rational use of all natural resources including water.
Ms. Dikshit said the sewer lines in Pitampura and adjoining areas had been laid by the Delhi Development Authority about 25 years ago and were now in urgent need of replacement as either they had silted up, were badly damaged or had completely collapsed due to high sub soil water level in the area.
Reduce pollution
The implementation of the project would ensure smooth discharge of sewage generated in the command area to 54 MGD Haiderpur treatment plant and ultimately to 40 MGD Rithala waste water treatment plant for its treatment, thereby eliminating unhygienic conditions in the area and reducing pollution in the Yamuna.
The project, scheduled to be completed by June 2014 at a cost of Rs.44.5 crore, is expected to benefit nearly three lakh people residing in Pitampura and adjoining areas.
Union Communications Minister and Chandni Chowk MP Kapil Sibal, who was also present on the occasion, lauded the role played by the Sheila Dikshit Government in changing the face of Delhi.
Delhi Public Works Department Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan lashed out at the Opposition BJP for resorting to violent and undemocratic forms of protest during Congress public meetings. Recalling the incident in East Delhi on Saturday, he cautioned that the Congress too would be compelled to react accordingly if its workers were subjected to violence.
Trinagar MLA Anil Bhardwaj said while various developmental activities had taken place in the area, the residents of Shakurpur Resettlement Colony were now eagerly awaiting the handing over of ownership rights to them by the Chief Minister. Incidentally, Ms. Dikshit had only earlier this week met Union Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath to demand that the order on granting ownership rights to the residents of 45 resettlement colonies in Delhi be issued at the earliest.
