After a wait of three years, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which had earlier decided to deploy Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at vital installations of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), has stated the inability to do the same, citing a shortage of manpower.

The water utility has now been asked to request the Delhi Police for security cover.

A senior DJB official said the MHA, in a letter issued last year, had promised to sanction one company of CISF (approximately 120 personnel), after Delhi Chief Secretary Rakesh Mehta had written to the ministry requesting to expedite the process. In another letter issued two months ago, the MHA informed the DJB that the elite paramilitary force is facing a manpower crunch and hence cannot safeguard DJB units.

In 2006, following a request from DJB officials, the CISF had conducted a comprehensive survey of DJB installations and concluded that its facilities were vulnerable and warranted a tight security cover, an official said. The CISF had also prepared a proposal for providing multi-tier security to vital water installations under the agency in view of a high terror threat perception and biological contamination. A detailed proposal to secure the Haiderpur, Bhagirathi, Wazirabad and Chandrawal water treatment plants was also drawn, CISF sources said.

“We have written to the Delhi Police requesting for security, and a response is awaited,” the DJB official said.

The DJB, in the meantime, is also looking for a consultant to offer contingency plans for dealing with natural or manmade emergencies. According to sources, the consultant will be mandated to prepare standard operating procedures for those working in water and sewage treatment plants and other DJB infrastructure keeping in mind possible terror attacks or natural calamities.