Japan firm to draft water masterplan for Delhi

NEW DELHI: The city government on Wednesday informed Delhi high court that it has decided to rope in a Japanese company to prepare a master plan for tackling the water crisis in the national capital.

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) submitted before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Reva Khetrapal that its officials were in consultation with Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) for preparing the master plan, and that this would be ready by June this year as JICA has already prepared a set of suggestions.

According to the DJB, the plan will provide infrastructure in existing and new areas of the city in accordance with the Delhi Master Plan 2021. Once JICA’s suggestions are accepted, DJB will start constructing underground reservoirs at various places. The court was also informed that Delhi government has already paid Rs 200 crore to Himachal Pradesh and Rs 160 crore to Haryana so that the city gets sufficient water.

The HC was hearing a plea by advocate Surender Kumar Sharma, who alleged that DJB has failed to supply adequate water to the public in Mohalla Gangaram area of Shahadara. "Despite directions from the high court for construction of an underground reservoir in the area, no step has been taken to address the issue," said Sharma .

Meanwhile, the bench directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD) to allot land for construction of the reservoir in Mohalla Gangaram and also asked DJB officials to visit the area and find a solution to curb misuse of water in the area.

Earlier, HC had widened the ambit of Sharma’s petition to address water shortage concerns of the entire capital. It had asked DJB to inform it about agencies that were not co-operating in mitigating water woes in the city so that a direction in this regard could be issued by the court itself.