Amid a flood warning in Delhi due to rising water level of Yamuna River, the national capital is also staring at a drinking water crisis after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal announced that three water treatment plants in Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla have been closed. Water from the overflowing Yamuna river reached key roads in Delhi on Thursday including ITO prompting a closure of schools in affected areas.
"Due to rising water level in Yamuna, Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla water treatment plants have to be closed. Due to this there will be water problem in some areas of Delhi. As soon as the Yamuna water recedes, we will try to start them as soon as possible," Kejriwal said in a tweet.
After vsiting the Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant, Kejriwal said that 25% of water supply will go down in Delhi due to the closing down of plants. “Three Water Treatment Plants have been shut down due to this as the water has entered pumps & machines...25% of the water supply in Delhi will go down due to this. The tubewells are closed too. There can be water scarcity for a day or two...I hope that the supply resumes by tomorrow evening. As per the CWC prediction, the peak (of river Yamuna's water level) will reach by 3-4 pm today and it will then start going down,” he said
Several areas of the city are reeling under flood and water-logging following heavy rainfall and the release of water from Hathnikund Barrage. The torrential Yamuna swelled to a staggering 208.48 metres Thursday morning, inundating nearby streets and public and private infrastructure. The overflowing river water also reached the houses of the VVIPs including the Delhi Secretariat housing offices of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his cabinet and other senior bureaucrats.
CM Kejriwal appealed to people living in low-lying areas to evacute as soon as possible and urged people not to visit nearby flooded roads. The water level of Yamuna is expected to rise further, according to the Central Water Commission, which has termed it an "extreme situation". Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena will hold a special meeting of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority on Thursday to discuss the flood situation in the city, officials said. Kejriwal, who is the vice-chairman of the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), will also attend the meeting, they said.
(This is a developing story. More details are awaited.)
