DJB plans for tough year ahead

In 2010,the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) aims to increase its potable water generation by a total of 130 million litres every day (MLD). Although resources available with the Capital’s only water utility seem to be drying up fast,the DJB aims to increase its capacity using the existing resources. In a bid to tackle the growing shortage of water in the Capital and the spur in demand expected during the Commonwealth Games,the DJB initiated a pilot project of setting up recycling units at its major water treatment plants (WTP) — Haiderpur,Sonia Vihar,Wazirabad and Chandrawal. All four proposed wastewater recycling units will be working by this year and would lead to an added 130 MLD.

The recycling unit at the 200 million gallons a day (MGD) Haiderpur WTP was commissioned in April last year and has been constructed at a cost of Rs 27 crore. The plant now produces 16 MGD of additional water,which was lost during treatment earlier. The 100-MGD Bhagirathi WTP is also producing an additional 12 MGD through recycling of its backwash water.

“While the Haiderpur and Bhagirathi plants were commissioned last year,the 11-MGD recycling unit at the Wazirabad WTP and the 8-MGD unit at Chandrawal WTP will be commissioned this year. This year,the DJB will be increasing its potable water generation by 130 MLD within the existing resources,” DJB’s Additional CEO,Santosh Vaidya,told Newsline.