CHAPTER-II

URBAN WATER SUPPLY

"No single measure would do more to reduce disease and save lives in the developing world than bringing safe water and adequate sanitation"

2.0 INTRODUCTION

KofiAnnan (Secretary General, UNO)

The importance of water in life can not be overemphasised, particularly today

when under tremendous population pressure mega cities are facing acute water shortages.

In this chapter we will first take stock of water management problems in urban centres

around the world, specifically in the developing countries including India. The existing

situation in Delhi and Surat will then be analysed in detail. Assessment of the level and

quality of the water supply service has been done in terms of infrastructure available for it,

level of supply, coverage with piped supply and measures undertaken for quality control.

Water is one of the most precious elements of life on the planet. It is critical for

satisfying the basic human needs for health, food production, energy supply and

maintenance of regional and global ecosystems. The domestic water requirements in the

urban context include the amount of water needed in households for drinking, cooking and

cleaning.

2.1 URBAN WATER SUPPLY-THE WORLD SCENARIO

Population growth and urbanization trends indicate that by 2008, more than half

the world's population will be living in urban areas (see Table 2.1 ). One of the most

pressing issues of this century would be the growing needs of water and sanitation services

within cities.

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Table: 2.1 Distribution of Urban Population in More and Less Developed Regions

Region 1975 2000 2015 ! More Developed Regions 734 millions 898 millions 954 millions

(70%) (75.4%) (78.6%) Less Develo,ped Regions 809 millions 1,964 millions 2,915 millions

(26.8%) (40.4%) (48.6%) Source: UN/WWAP. 2003., UN World Water Development Report, and Water for People, Water for L1fe. UNESCO

The gap between water and urban growth is continuo~sly widening between the

demand for and the supply of water and sanitation services. The growing demand compels

urban authorities to over-exploit valuable resources; this in tum leads to water crises such

as the one in Mexico City. Home to over 22 million people, this mega city depends on

groundwater from the Mexico Valley aquifer for 80% of its water supply. The depletion

of the aquifer has caused a shifting of the land and the city is now sinking. The most

important issues related to water and urban growth are- overexploitation, pollution, health

and of course the coverage of urban areas with safe water and sanitation.

The nature of water crisis is multidimensional. About 120 crores of people (20

percent of global population) spread across 40 countries do not have access to safe water;

2400 million of people lack adequate sanitation services. Official data given by the

UNICEF regarding population having access to safe drinking water in urban and rural

areas has been presented in Table 2.2. Daily water use per person is about 600 l:itres in

residential areas of North America and Japan and 250-350 litres in Europe whereas per

capita water use per day in sub-Saharan region is a mere 10 litres. Per capita use of water

in India is about 50 litres per day. According to one estimate, over the next 20 years, the

world's population will increase from the present 6.4 billion to an estimated 7.2 billion

whereas the average supply of water per person is expected to fall by one-third. The

hardest hit will be the poorest. According to UN, by 2025 as many as 500 crores of people

will be facing water shortage; as many as 270 crores will face severe shortages, if the

world continues consuming water at the present rate. 1

1 Manorama Yearbook-2005 (401h Edition); "The Crisis of the Century- Water Shortage, A Global Disaster",

Malayala Moanorama Press, Kottayam, p 26.

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Table: 2.2 Population with Access to Safe Drinking Water, 1990s

Safe Drinking Water(%) Region Urban Access Rural Access

Middle East and North America 97 72 Sub-Saharan Africa 77 39 South Asia 86 78 East Asia and Pacific 95 58 Latin America and Caribbean 88 42 WORLD 90 62 Source: UNICEF, 1990

2.1.1 Condition in Developing Regions

Africa and Asia are the two regions suffering the most from the lack of water

supply and sanitation in urban areas:

+ Africa: Africa has the weakest 'improved' water supply coverage in urban

areas. There are as many as 150 million urban residents in the region- up to 50<%

of the Continent's urban population- lack adequate water supplies. Cities such as

Cotonou (Benin) or Conakry (Guinea), where the public water standpipe

distribution system is barely operational, have water distribution rates of less than

40%. An estimated 180 million people lack adequate sanitation. In many Afric<m

cities solid waste is collected from only 10 to 30% of all urban households.

+ Asia: With more than 1.3 billion of its inhabitants living in urban areas, Asia

is home to almost half the world's urban population. Achieving water supply and

sanitation targets in the region is a particularly daunting challenge. More than half

ofthe world's population without access to water and sanitation lives in Asia.

+ Latin America and the Caribbean: Though the region has 30% of the world's

freshwater resources, the pollution of water by domestic sewage makes access to

drinking water difficult in some cities.

2.1.2 Condition in the South Asia

In India, in spite of substantial emphasis on the water supply sector, only 82

percent of urban households covering 85 percent of urban population had access to safe

53

drinking water in 1991. Estimates indicate that in 1988-89 about 58 percent of urban

households had access to drinking water facilities within their premises and about 40

percent within a distance of 0.5 km. However, there are substantial distributional

inequalities between the states, between the cities within states and between the different

areas within each settlement. Against the national average target of 140 lpcd of water, the

existing per capita consumption is too low and ranges from 165 lpcd in few larger towns

to about 50 lpcd in most, smaller towns. The availability of water in the urban slums is

around 27 lpcd.2

Table 2.3 Urban Population with Access to Potable Water and Sanitation in South Asia: 1990-95 (in Percentage)

I Countries Bangladesh Bhutan India

Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka ,. Smu ce. PemJa and Stella ( 1997)

(a) G01 ( 1999)

Population Having Access to 'Potable' Water Sanitation

99 75 - -

85 70 90 (a)3 50 (a)

90 70 96 62 87 67

Urban population with access to potable water and sanitation in South Asia in

1990-95 has been shown in Table 2.3. The table indicates that India with 85 percent of its

population having access to potable water is at the bottom in the list of its neighbours. But

the official figure given by the Government of India is 90 percent. Authenticity of official

information given by different governments is again a different story discussed in some

detail in the next section.

In India, water supply and sanitation continues to be a state subject (State List-II,

ih Schedule) and as such funding of projects in this sector has been through plan

2 Suresh V (1998): "Indian Experience in Urban Water Supply and Sanitation", paper presented in the ESCAP Sub-regional Workshop on Private Sector involvement in the Water Supply and Sanitation held in New Delhi, (Updated Version), HUDCO, New Delhi, pp 1-2.

3 Government of India ( 1999): National Commission fOr Integrated Water Resources Development Plan, Report of the Working Group on Water Management for Domestic, Industrial and other Uses, Ministry of Water Resources, New Delhi.

4 Pemia M. Emesto and Stella L F Alabastro (1997): Aspects of Urban Water and Sanitation in the Context o(Rapid Urbanisation in Developing Asia, Economic Staff Paper No. 56, Economics and Development Resources Centre Asian Development Bank, Philippines, pp 7-8.

54

provisions to the state governments. Anyways, this provision has been found to be highly

inadequate. The resources required to achieve I 00 percent coverage with safe drinking

water are massive. The Rakesh Mohan Committee's India Infrastructure Report estimates

that of US $ 17418 million (69670 Crores) will be required in India to fulfil the safe

drinking water supply needs of the country.

Providing an adequate supply of water to cities is one of the top priorities of urban

local bodies. It involves obtaining the raw water from available sources, filtering, treating

and then distributing it to consumers. Apart from these physical processes, the concerned

agency has to manage all other aspects of the supply system, such as attending to

complaints, charging customers for the service, and· making investments to ensure

sustainable supplies.

The water supply management issues are more critical. Widespread dissatisfaction

among consumers is the result of an improperly managed water supply system, where

people are forced to resort to alternate means or supplementary sources for collection of

water through private tube wells and tanker supplies at considerable costs. It is so because

17 to 44 percent of the total flow in the distribution system is lost due to leakages in the

main and service pipes and valves as indicated by National Environment Engineering

Research Institute (NEERI) while conducting pilot studies on leakages in the distribution

system of 13 cities in India. Experts in water management feel the urgent need for macro­

planning policies to improve the allocation of water among competing interests as well as

better micro-controls on and technologies for water use within households, industries and

commerce. Therefore, implicit in the solution, in most cases, is to setup mega-projects to

store water and get supplies from increasingly distant agrarian sources. This situation

needs a trade-offbetween urban, rural and ecological concerns.

2.1.3 Authenticity of Data on Access to Safe Drinking Water

The figures mentioned above are official statistics. Their authenticity is much

suspected. Experts at the UN-HABITAT have serious doubts about the reliability of these

statistics in developing countries (Box-2.1).

Box-2.1 Authenticity of National Statistics on

Access to Urban Water and Sanitation Provisions

+ Official national statistics often disguise the real problem of the poor in cities and towns. Most existing surveys presume that the urban poor are better served than the rural poor with 'improved' provision of water and sanitation. Using such general criteria, the statistics confidently report that 94%of all urban populations have improved water provision and 84% have improved sanitation.

+ Such official statistics optimistically state that in India, 92% of the urban population has access to clean water; 73% has access to improved sanitation. In the Philippines, 92% of the urban population has access water supply and 92% has access to improved sanitation. In Kenya it is 87% and 96%; in Nigeria it is 81% and 85%.

+ But for many slum dwellers, such statistics belie the actual conditions on the ground where up to 500 people have to share one toilet or a communal tap. In Mahira, a section of the Haruma slum in Nairobi, there is one self-help toilet with ten units and two bathrooms for a settlement of 332 households or 1500 inhabitants.

+ It is one thing for a government to say it provides improved or adequate water to a household in a rural area because there is a communal water standpipe and toilet within 100 meters of each home and quite another to use the same criteria for urban residents. In a rural area only a handful of people compete for access, whereas in a crowded city hundreds use the same water source and toilet.

+ In fact, individual city studies indicate that if the assessment is widened to measure the proportion with access to safe water in sufficient quantity, the number of urban dwellers who are inadequately served is much higher than officially acknowledged. The situation for sanitation is similarly skewed. City level data of 43 African cities showed that in fact 83% of the population lacked toilets that were connected to sewers; for the large cities of Asia it was 55%.

+ In some of the poorest nations, there has been no census for 10-20 years. Even when there is a census, few national statistical offices provide local governments with census data in a form that allows them to use this in "small area" planning.

+ Whatever the discussions about appropriate criteria and the best measures of water provision for the urban poor, there is no question that in the overcrowded slums and squatter settlements, reality is rough.

Source: UN-HABITAT, 2003 www. unhabitat. org

55

Until today, global assessments have always used the same standards for assessing

water supply and sanitation coverage in rural and urban areas. The main characteristic of

this 'standard' for water supply is the distance of the provision service from the household

i.e. people should get their water supply within 1 kilometre of their residence. For

sanitation, it is the connection of a toilet to a public sewer or a septic tank.

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Slum areas concentrate a very high number of people in a relatively small area

making these standards irrelevant. In many cities of the developing world, slum dwellers

have to queue for hours to get water from a pipe, where water is only available

intennittently and is sometimes shared by 50 shelters, as is the case in Ahmedabad, India.

In addition to that, many people have to use poorly maintained communal or public toilets

shared by 50 persons or more, like a large proportion of the population of Colombo, Sri

Lanka.

Experts now realise that statistics often disguises the reality on the ground hence

the UN-Habitat now differentiates between 'improved' water supply and sanitation and

'adequate' water supply and sanitation (Box-2.2).

Box-2.2

'Improved' Water Supply and 'Adequate' Water Supply

+ Adequate Water Supply: Supply of water that is safe, sufficient, regular, convenient, and available at an affordable price.

+ Improved Water Supply: Access to water supply from a household connection, a public standpipe, a borehole, a protected dug well, or a protected rain water connection. At least 20 liters per person per day must be available from a source within 1 km of the user's dwelling.

UN-HABITAT, (2003)

Table 2.4 highlights the disparity in statistics on access to 'improved' water supply

and sanitation depending on standards considered as the assessment basis by various

agencies in different parts of the world. It is useful to note in this regard that how

important is it to have an internationally agreed uniform standard for such vital necessities

of human life i.e. 'access to water and sanitation.' It is easy to see from the table 2.4 that

how deceptive a statistics can be for decision-makers just because there is no uniform

standard to measure the accessibility to water and sanitation around the world.

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Table: 2.4 Combined Table: Proportion of urban population with access to 'improved' water supply and sanitation and proportion of households in major cities connected to piped water and sewers

Latin America Africa Asia and the Europe

I Caribbean Proportion of urban populations with

I 94 'improved' water supply(%) 86 93 100 [Standard A-1}* I

Proportion of households in major cities with ! a house or yard connection for water(%) 143 77 77 96 [Standard A-2] * Proportion of urban populations with I I 86 'improved' sanitation(%) 180 74 99 [Standard B-1} * I

Proportion of urban populations with

118 'improved' sanitation(%) 45 35 92 [Standard B-2} * Sources: UN/WWAP. 2003., UN World Water Development Report, Water for People, Water for L1fe,

UNESCO/ Global Water Supply and Sanitation Assessment 2000

*NOTE: Standard A-1 and A-2 indicates different standards considered as basis to measure the access to 'improved water supply' while Standard B-1 and B-2 indicates different standards considered as basis to measure the access to 'improved sanitation'.

2.2 RESPONSE TO THE CRISES BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

The impending crisis has been fully recognized by the international bodies and an

appreciable response is also evident in the form of programmes like:

+ UN-HABITA T's Water for Asian Cities programme which has recently been

joined by the Asian Development Bank (ADB);

+ central focus on water in the UN's Millennium Development Goal;

+ celebration of International Water Year-2003;

+ Vision-21 (Water for People) programme of Water Supply and Sanitation

Collaborative Council (WSSCC) etc.

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Two mam international targets related to water supply and sanitation recently

agreed upon are:

+ UN Millennium Development Goal (2000): 'Reduce by half, by 2015, the

proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water.'

+ World Summit on Sustainable Development, Plan of Implementation (2002):

'We agree to halve, by the year 2015, the proportion of people who are unable

to reach or afford safe drinking water and the proportion of people who do not

have access to basic sanitation.'

2.2.1 Declaration of Water and Sanitation as a Human Right

It is now acknowledged that water and sanitation are the right of each individual

and thus should be supported by international legal instruments. The right to adequate

water and sanitation are not central to any of these agreements, but are implicit in several,

and the right to clean drinking water is explicit in the Convention on the Rights of the

Child. Access to clean water and sanitation at an affordable price is also acknowledged in

a number of other international statements in the water sector. The recognition of

adequate water and sanitation as human rights does not necessarily imply that the public

sector must be the sole provider of water and sanitation services. The International

Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which sets out the basis of state

responsibilities towards the realisation of the rights to health and to an adequate standard

of living, does not rule out a central role for private enterprises. But it does require states

to "take the necessary steps towards the progressive achievement of the right of everyone

to an adequate standard of living, including access to water and sanitation" (see Box-2.3

for the chronology of water rights).

2.2.2 Slum Areas: the Major Challenge for water supply

'The battle for water and sanitation will have to be fought in human settlements, particularly in the slums and shanties of the growing urban areas of developing countries.'

Mrs Anna Tibaijuka Executive Director ofUN-Habitat

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The world's slums are continuously growing. Today, it is estimated that there are

almost 1 billion people living in slums in the world, making up 32% of the global urban

population. Although the concentration of slum dwellers is highest in African cities, in

numbers alone, Asia accounts for some 60 percent of the world's slum residents (Table:

2.5).

Box-2.3

A Chronology of Water Rights

+ 1977: Access to safe water as a human right was suggested in the Mar del Plata Action Plan: "[A]ll peoples, whatever their stage of development and their social and economic conditions, have the right to have access to drinking water in quantities and of a quality equal to their basic needs."

+ 1990: The New Delhi Statement simply advocated that all should have access to water but did not refer to it as a human right.

+ 1992: The Dublin Statement stated that it is a "basic right of all human beings to have access to clean water and sanitation at an affordable price".

+ 1995: The Beijing Declaration that followed the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (United Nations, 1995) declared that we should ensure the availability of and universal access to safe drinking water and sanitation.

+ 1995: The Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development, a product of the World Summit for Social Development, stated that safe drinking water and sanitation were basic needs.

+ 1997: The Marrakech Declaration "recognized the basic human need to have access to clean water and sanitation," without mentioning human rights.

+ 1998: The International Conference on Water and Sustainability also refers to basic needs, but without further elaboration.

+ 2000: The Hague Declaration states that "ensuring that every person has access to enough safe water at an affordable cost to lead a healthy and productive life" and considered it a "basic need of the poor and the vulnerable".

+ 2000: The issues of water supply and the rights to development were treated separately in the United Nations Millennium Declaration.

+ 2002, June: The United Nations Commission on Human Rights, the Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights, published a report on water, endorsing the view that access to safe water and proper sanitation is indeed a human right.

+ 2002, November: Finally, access to sufficient and safe drinking water was declared a human right by the United Nations. The declaration was made in the form of a clarification of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: "The human right to drinking water is fundamental for life and health. Sufficient and safe drinking water is a precondition for the realization of all human rights"

Source: www.unhabitat.org .

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Table: 2.5 Proportion of Slum Dwellers in Selected Regions

Region Proportion of slum dwellers(%) Developing regions 43 Sub-Saharan Africa 71.9 North Africa 28.2 South-Central Asia 58 East Asia 36.4 Western Asia 33.1 Southeast Asia 28 Latin America and the Caribbean 31.9 Source: UN-Hab1tat, 2003: "The Challenge of Slums", Global Report on Human Settlements 2003.

2.2.3 Concern for the Poor

As previously mentioned, people living in informal settlements are the first ones to

be hit by water-related diseases. Without access to adequate water supplies, people often

get water from unsafe sources. In many African cities, up to 80% of the population is

served by small-scale informal private sector water providers. For many, the only way to

get drinking water is to buy it from private vendors, at up to 10 times the cost of water

delivered by a pipe. According to UN-Habitat, in Namibia, up to 15-20% of family's

incomes are spent on water. In addition to this, families have to pay to use the public

toilets.

To meet the growing demands for water supply and. sanitation, some governments

have privatized water and sanitation utilities in their cities. But, if the contract between

public authorities and private companies is no~ based on a policy of connecting the poor to

water supply and sewage systems, slum dwellers are likely to be disadvantaged by

privatization. Connecting the urban poor is not an easy or a profitable task- it is difficult

to lay sewers in informal settlements because the streets are narrow and irregular. Even

when slum areas are connected after water services are privatized, their inhabitants are

likely to pay more than others, because they rarely enjoy individual connections. A

publication by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists shows that m

Manila (Philippines), 'private companies have connected the urban poor by extending a

pipe into their neighbourhoods. But then it is up to the families to pay contractors to

extend the pipes to their homes ... the water companies usually install meters near the

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mam. This means that any leakage or theft between the main and the household is paid for

by the customer'.

2.3 STATUS OF WATER SUPPLY IN DELHI

Delhi Jal Board (DJB) supplies treated water to the Delhi Municipal Corporation

(MCD) area and to the NDMC (New Delhi Municipal Council) and DCB (Delhi

Cantonment Board) in bulk. Both NDMC and DCB are responsible for the distribution of

water within their own territories. Water supply infrastructure in these territories is owned

by them and consequently, is not the responsibility of the DJB. The water supply to the

citizens of Delhi is through water treatment plants located in different areas of north and

east Delhi. Existing status of the water supply service in Delhi has been summarised in

table 2.6.

Table: 2.6 Present Status of Water Supply in Delhi-2004-2005

Total Area of Delhi 14863 Sq Km

Total population (As per 2001 census) 13.78 million

Population coverage by piped water (in%) 86

Households covered under piped water supply (in %) 50 (Tot. 2.76 million HH, 2001)

Total water supply installed capacity (ground+ surface) 650MGD

Total average water supplied at present 670MGD

Gross lpcd supplied (gross population) 218 Lpcd (50 gpcd)

Total Length of Mains and Distribution Network System 9000Km.

Total number of Water Connections (till April, 2001) 1.35 million

Source: Complied from: Econom1c Survey of Delh1, 2001-02 and 2003-04; Draft Master Plan for DelhJ-2021, and the Delhi Jal Board (www.delhijalboard.org).

The 2001-02 water production by the DJB was 2911 MLD (640 MGDi with water

obtained from a range of sources such as river Yamuna, Bhakra storage, Upper Ganga

Canal and from underground water resources. The distribution of this 'produced water' is

shown in Table 2.7.

5 Gallon is a unit for measuring liquid. In the UK, Canada and other countries it is equal to about 4.5 litres; in the US it is equal to about 3.8 litres.

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Table: 2.7 Distribution of Total Water Produced by DJB-2001-02

System Authorised Billed Billed Metered Consumption 13% Revenue Input Consumption Authorised (including water exported in Water Volume 58% Consumption bulk) 50%

Billed Unmetered Consumption 37%

Unbilled Unbilled Metered Consumption 0% Non-Authorized Unbilled Unmetered 8% Revenue Consumption Consumption Water

Water Losses Apparent Unauthorised Consumption 2% (NRW)

42% Loss 2% Metering Inaccuracies 0% 50%

Real Losses Leakage Transmission Mains 16% 40% Leakage and Overflows at 0%

Utility's Storage Tanks Leakage on Distribution Mains 24% and Service Connection up to Point of Customer Metering

Source: Economtc Survey of Delht, 2003-04 (ctted m the 'Delht Water Supply & Sewerage ProJect Preparation Study Report).

The total number of private tube wells (domestic, commercial and industrial) in

Delhi is estimated at around 200,000. In addition to it, there are supplies of bottled water

as well as numerous hand-pumps. No consumption figures are available for hand-pumps

and bottled water supplies. The 'willingness-to-pay' survey carried out under a project

estimated that 23 % of the households use such sources for at least part of their water . 6

reqmrement.

Though the data on distribution of the water produced by DJB in Table 2. 7 is not

very recent but it indicates the trend. We find that only about 58 percent of the total water

produced is authorized consumption. A huge amount of water (about 42 percent) is

wasted. Out of total revenue water which is only half of the total water produced only 13

percent is billed and metered consumption (including water exported in bulk to NDMC

and DCB) while remaining 37 percent is billed but not metered. Of late DJB is making

efforts for mandatory installation of meters. Out of total authorized consumption (about

58 percent) 8 percent goes without any revenue earned as this portion of water is

consumed unbilled and unmetered.

6 Government of NCT of Delhi, Planning Department (2003): "Economic Survey 2003-04"; p 96; (www.delhiplanning.nic.in, viewed in 2005).

63

The total loss during 2001-02 as reported by DJB is about 42 percent of total water

produced (640 MGD) which comes about 269 MGD. This huge loss of treated water is

due to many reasons. The bulk of the losses (24 percent of total water produced) is due to

leakage on distribution mains and service connections on the way to the consumers

followed by leakage in transmission mains (16 percent). Only a meagre 2 percent is

apparent loss which is due to the unauthorized consumption. Thus the data shows how old

the network has become and is unprofitable for the DJB.

Of course, the above situation is now being controlled with massive efforts in the

direction of water refonns like compulsory metering, rationalizing water tariff, and

reduction in the transmission and distribution losses. The recent efforts made by the DJB

related to metering and rationalization of water tariff are hailed by some and demonized

by others.

According to DJB, it has an installed capacity of 650 MGD against which on an

average 670 MGD potable water is being produced by optimization of Water Treatment

Plants. Present water demand for potable water in Delhi has been assessed as 828 MGD

@ 60 gpcd (270 lpcd) for all uses (Table: 2.6). For estimation of the domestic

consumption and other purposes the DJB has adopted Central Public Health Engineering

and Environmental Organisation (CPHEEO) Manual, 1999 and Delhi Master Plan

Document-200 I (see Box 2.4)

2.3.1 Water Supply in Delhi

The water supply treatment plants of DJB treat a total of 650 MGD, out of which

569 MGD is obtained from surface sources and 81 MGD from sub-surface sources. The

capacity of the DJB water treatment plants and their source of raw water are .indicated in

Table 2.8. The installed capacity of Nangloi Water Treatment Plant though is 40 MGD,

but presently it is treating only 20 MGD, due to raw water constraints. Balance 20 MGD

water is likely to be available for this plant after remodelling of two aqueducts on Western

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Yamuna Canal by Haryana Government. Also, 300 cusec7 raw water is reserved in Tehri

Dam storage for Delhi which is planned to be utilized in newly built Sonia Vihar water

treatment plant.

Box2.4

BASIS FOR ADOPTING PER CAPITA WATER REQUIREMENT FOR DELHI

a) Delhi Jal Board (DJB)

The Delhi Jal Board is adopting domestic consumption requirements as per CPHEEO Manual, 1999 on water supply which provides for domestic consumption in Metropolitan and mega cities as 150 LPCD plus 15% losses. As per the manual the water requirement for other uses is to be assessed separately. To assess the water demand for other uses, the DJB has followed the Master Plan Document-2001. Consequently, the per capita water requirement works out as follows:

I II

III

IV

Domestic (150+22) Industrial, Commercial and Community requirement at 45,000 It. per ha. Per day Special uses. embassies, floating population, hotels, Air ports and railway stations etc. Fire protection@ 1% of total demand

(Say 60 gallons per capita per day) TOTAL-

172 LPCD

47 LPCD

52 LPCD 03 LPCD

274 LPCD

b) Delhi Development Authority (DDA)

The total city requirement is considered as 80 gpcd out of which 50 gpcd is for domestic requirement and 30 gpcd for non-domestic purposes. The domestic requirement of 50 gpcd comprises of 30 gpcd for potable needs and 20 gpcd for non-potable water. The requirement of potable water out of total requirement of 80 gpcd has been assessed as 35 gpcd i.e. 30 gpcd for domestic and 5 gpcd for non-domestic demand while the demand for non-potable water has been assessed as 45 gpcd i.e. 20 gpcd for domestic and 25 gpcd for non-domestic purposes.

7 A rate of one cubic foot per second.

Source: The Master Plan for Delhi-2021 Document, Delhi Development Authority (DDA)

New Delhi, 2005

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Table: 2.8 Water Supply Capacities of Various Treatment Plants, 2003-04

s. Existing Capacity Proposed Capacity No. Name of the Plant As on 31.03.2004. As on 31.03.2005. 1. Chandrawal Water House No. I & II 90 90 2. Wazirabad I, II & III 120 120 3. Haiderpur 200 200 4. North Shahadra (Bhagirathi) 100 100 5. Bawana - 20 6. Nangloi 40 40 7. Sonia Vihar* - 140 8. Renny Wells and Tube Wells 81 90 9. Optimization of WTPs 19 40 10. Recycling of Waste Water at 10 -

Chandrawal, Bhagirathi, Haiderpur and Wazirabad

Total 650 850 Source: Economic Survey of Delhi, 2003-04 * Sonia Vihar Water Treatment Plant is complete but yet to be functional in want of raw water.

2.3.1.1 Ground Water Resource in Delhi

In 2004, DJB had 2334 Tube-wells and 21 Ranney Wells. The flood-prone area

upstream of Wazirabad barrage is being exploited for commissioning of more tube-wells

by DJB. Some of the important steps to improve the deteriorating groundwater situation

in Delhi and it's environ include:

+ The deepening ofNajafgarh drain between Kakrola and Dhansa Regulator,

+ Preserving and developing old lakes and other water bodies,

+ Preserving and developing the forest area in Delhi,

+ Construction of check-dams at Asola Wild Life Sanctuary and plantation of trees,

+ Initiative towards rain water harvesting (PWD and DJB has already started rain

water harvesting measures and building bye-laws have also been amended by

DDA to facilitate rain water harvesting in all new buildings with plot sizes of more

than 1000 sq. metres).

The decreasing groundwater level and its contamination in Delhi has become a

matter of immediate concern. At some places in south and south west Delhi, the water

level has gone below the 20-30 metre mark below the land surface. The quality of ground

66

water is reported to be deteriorating very fast and in several places it has been found to be

unfit for human consumption. The salinity of ground water is increasing in south-west and

north-west Delhi. 8 In some areas of Shahadra and Kanjhawala, nitrate content has been

found to be more than 1000 rug/litre. Fluoride and chemical concentrations, higher than

the prescribed limits, have also been found at various locations in Delhi. To tackle these

problems, the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) has taken steps to regulate the

number of tube wells being commissioned in Delhi.

The Economic Survey of Delhi-2003-049 further pints out that 'moderate to highly

saline-water suggests that the amount of rainfall recharge is very limited and that

groundwater flushing is incomplete. The ground water levels have declined with the

additional problems of brackishness and pollution due to. the tremendous abstraction.

Brackish ground water is found in Kanjhawala, Najafgarh and Bhalaswa, Burari and

Dheerpur at shallow depths.'

2.3.1.2 Surface Water Resources in Delhi

About 1400 cusec of raw water is being made available to various treatment plants

in Delhi from surface sources. Present source of raw water for treatment plants (WTPs)

include- river Yamuna, river Ganga, and Bhakra Nangal Storage. Bulk of the raw water

comes from river Yamuna (about 750 cusec which includes 130 cusec transit losses from

Tajewala to Haiderpur) followed by the river Ganga (about 200 cusec received at

Bhagirathi Water Works), and about 265 cusec raw water is obtained from Bhakra Nangal.

2.3.2 Treatment of\Vater and Quality Control

Treatment of water is an important aspect of the urban water supply management.

If anything goes wrong at this stage of water supply process it may prove fatal for the

health of the residents of the city.

8 Government ofNCT ofDelhi, Planning Department (2003): 'Economic Survey 2003-04'; p 161. 9 Ibid, p 157

67

Treatment of raw water is done in various stages. For convenience the whole

process can be divided into two stages- pre-chlorination treatment and post-chlorination

treatment. First of all, raw water is lifted from canal/river then pre-chlorination of raw

water is done to destroy the algae etc. present in water and then taken to clariflocculator.

To remove the inorganic impurities to a large extent, calculated quantity of alum in

solution form is added to pre-chlorinated water which helps in coagulation. The mud and

other inorganic impurities care allowed to settle down which are ultimately scoured out.

Before, the post-chlorination treatment starts, filtration is done through sand filters. In the

filtration process the water is allowed to pass through filter media where all the remaining

inorganic impurities are removed and the water is allowed to pass on for final chlorination .

Under the second stage of post-chlorination treatment, another calculat d dose of

chlorine gas solution is added to the filtered water to destroy the traces of any remaining

organic matter. Finally, the water from filter house is stored in balancing tanks for further

pumping. The filtered water collected in the balancing reservoirs is pumped with the help

of suitable pumps to the service reservoirs located in various parts of the city. This

process has been described in the form of flow diagram (Fig. 2.1 ).

FIG. 2.1: STANDARD WATER TREATMENT METHOD

Pre­chlorination Distribtn.

Chamber

Source: Delh i Jal Board (DJB), 2003

Alum/poly­Aluminium

Chloride

C lariflocc -ulator

Post­chlorination

Rap id Sand Filtt:r

Clear Water Reser •ro irs

68

Apart from the standard treatment techniques the DJB has adopted some modern

techniques also in its various WTPs. The modern techniques used are- 'Biological

Nitrification and Ozone Treatment' at its Okhla WTP (Fig. 2.2), Pulsator Clarifiers and

Aquazur-V Filters at Sonia Vihar Treatment Plant, and various leak detection equipments.

Pulsator Clar~fier uses perfectly homogenous stabilized sludge blanket for the

removal of colloids, plankton and algae. This method is extremely efficient (95-99%) in

removal of algae as compared to conventional clarifiers. Aquazur-V filter uses a single

layer of homogenous sand and is suitable for high filtration rates and extended filtration

cycle due to its in-depth clogging capacity. The filter includes two V -Shaped submerged

boughs built along the side wall which enable the surface sweeping during the washing

sequence.

Leak detection and investigation: In order to save water going waste through

leakages in water mains and treatment works or otherwise, a separate Leak Detection and

Investigation cell headed by an executive engineer and assisted by other technical/field

staff was set up in 1978 for regularly detecting/investigating leakages in the system and

taking up remedial measures. Initially, the leak detection cell started functioning with the

help of very few conventional equipment viz. sounding rods, micro-correlates and

pipe/cable locators. More sophisticated sonic and electronic equipments were acquired

subsequently and are now being used regularly.

A state-of-the-art system of water treatment, as claimed by DJB, ensures the

quality of drinking water. Water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board is not only potable and

wholesome but also conforms to the standards laid down by the Urban Development

Ministry, Govt. of India (DJB, 2003). Quality assurance measures are taken right from

raw water stage up to the consumers end. The water supplied from Ranney Wells and tube

wells is also tested on regular basis to ensure that no contamination takes place during

transmission of water through water mains. Approximately 200 water samples are lifted

daily from the distribution system, individual taps, public hydrants, etc. located in

different parts of the city to ensure that safe drinking water reaches the consumers. In

order to avoid contamination of water, all ground reservoirs, overhead tanks and dead ends

in the distribution system are flushed and cleaned periodically.

FIG. 2.2 BIOLOGICAL NITRIFICATION AND OZONE TREATMENT

Aemtioo 1- Chrr;ftoat;oo

From Ranney Wells

To Distribution

S~stem

Blending with Ganga Water

Source: Delhi Jal Board

Post­Chlorination

L Underground Reservo irs

Pre­Ozonation

Rapid Sand Filter

Biological Nitrification

Post­Nitrification

J

69

With a vtew to avoid contamination of water because of service hnes passmg

through drain sewers, in 2003, 10789 cases were identified and notices were issued to

consumers for shifting of their water lines. 3687 such connections were disconnected and

4899 consumers shifted their service lines themselves (DJB, 2003).

The Delhi Jal Board is one of the few public utilities to undertake extensive work

on Geographical Information System (GlS) mapping of its various utiliti s like the

numerous water and sewage treatment plants , water transmissions, mains, underground

reservoir overhead tanks , ranney wells , tube wells and the numerous appurtena .ts.

2.3.3 Future Water Supply Planning and Management

The Master Plan for Delhi-2021 (MPD-2021) refers to the "Perspective Plan for

lnfrastructure Services in Delhi-2021 " prepared by Delhi Jal Board for water supply in

the metropolis . While preparing this perspective plan, the DJB has taken the views of

70

Special Officer- MPD-2021, DDA, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) and studies

carried out by different agencies in the field of water supply.

The DJB has projected water demand for three different points of time in future

separately viz. for 2006, 2011 and for 2021 on the basis of CPHEEO norms (Box-2.4).

The water demand for 2004 was assessed as 828 MGD@ 60 gpcd for all purposes. No

allowance was made for use of potable water for parks and lawns/horticulture/agriculture

purposes due to water shortage.

The Delhi Jal Board anticipated that by the year 2006 about 990 MGD of potable

water @ 60 gpcd for a population of 16.5 million shall be required. However, the Delhi

Development Authority (DDA) has projected the 2006 water demand as 1320 MGD @ 80

gpcd. Likewise, projections for other terminal years have been done by these two

organizations for Delhi (see Table 2.9).

Table: 2.9 Projected Water Demand for Delhi (in MGD)

Year Delhi Jal Board (DJB) Delhi Development Authority (DDA) 2006 990 1320 2011 1140 1520 2021 1380 1840 Source: Draft Master Plan for Delhi-2021 (MPD-2021 ), 2005

The following policy decisions were suggested with the emphasis that they need to

be implemented on priority basis:

(i) Regulation and control of underground water: as there is no control over the

extraction of underground water except banning of new bore wells in selected

pockets by Central Ground Water Authority (CGW A). The depletion of water has

lead to enhancement of demand from the DJB. The DJB therefore, considers it

necessary to bring underground water under the purview of Delhi Jal Board as is

done in Chandigarh. A draft bill entitled 'the Delhi Water Board (Amendment)

Act' has been already formulated and the same awaits promulgation.

71

(ii) Cost of enhancement: the marginal cost of increased water supply in Delhi is

going to be substantial, as it will involve construction of hug,e reservoirs in the

form of dams, construction of a transmission system, peripheral and distribution

mains and underground reservoirs in the city. At present, infrastructure

development fund is being charged from the Developing Agencies for developed

areas@ Rs. 15/- per litre of average daily demand, but the same is not enough to

finance the cost of the huge reservoirs and dams. So, it is necessary to enhance the

same to finance the construction of dams and transmission of bulk/raw water.

(iii) Prevention of wastage and theft of water: suitable amendments have to be made

in Delhi Water Board Act to provide for stringent measures for enforcing curb on

theft/wastage of water. On the other hand, for improvements in the system of

leak detection and control, investments are required for metering at all levels,

segregation of district metering areas, setting up of pressure gauges etc.

The DJB has proposed a number of steps to meet the projected demand of water.

These steps involve augmentation of raw water sources and the capacity of WTPs. The

efforts to be made by various administrative organizations including the Government of

Delhi and the Ministry ofWater Resources, Government India, has also been indicated by

the DJB in its Perspective Plan for Infrastructure Services for Delhi-2021 (see Appendix-!

for details).

2.4 STATUS OF WATER SUPPLY IN SURA T

Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is responsible for supplying water to the

residents of the city. Besides, SMC supplies water in bulk to the residents in adjoining

areas under Surat Urban Development Authority (SUDA).

2.4.1 Water Supply-Existing Situation

Presently Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) is serving about 97 pt.~rcent of total

· area and 95 percent of total population. The area which is not served with water supply is

mostly the agricultural lands within the municipal limits near Ved, Jahangirpura and

72

Jahangirabad. Apart from these areas, parts of Dindoli, Nanavarchha, Bamroli, Adajan,

Udhna, Bhestan, Limbayat, and Ved Road are still to be covered with piped water supply.

Above said areas presently are being served with water tankers owned by SMC. The

population that does not receive water supply (by piped network) is approximately 5

percent of total population (about 0.12 million). The corporation also caters to water needs

of the floating population in the city.

Presently an average of 195 LPCD is being supplied to the city. Total installed

capacity of the system is about 673 MLD and at present 530 MLD is being supplied

(Table: 2.1 0).

Table: 2.10 Present Status of Water Supply in SMC Area, 2004-2005

Total Area of Surat 112.27 SqKm

Area covered by piped water supply (in%) 97%

Total population (As per 2001 census) 2.43 million

Population coverage of piped water supply (in%) 95%

Total water supply installed capacity (ground+ surface) 673 MLD (150 MGD)

Total average water supplied at present 530 MLD (118 MGD)

Gross lpcd supplied (gross population) 195 Lpcd

Total Length of Distribution Network Pipelines 2200 Km.

(75 to 900 mm dia.)

Total Length ofTransmission Pipelines (900 to 1626 mm dia.) 140 Km.

Total Nos. of Water Connections: (All size) 2,57,000

Source: Hydraulic Department, Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC), 2004-2005

The bulk of supply goes to the domestic sector (94% of total supply) followed by

the industrial sector (about 4.1 %). The industries are not the water consuming type. Most

of the industrial units are either power looms or diamond cutting establishments (Table:

2.11 ). Main water consuming industries are the dyeing and printing mills but these are

few.

73

Table: 2.11 Daily Water Supplies by Purpose in SMC Area-2001

Purpose Quantity of Supply (MLD) Percent of Total Domestic 414.5 94.2 Commercial 6.0 1.4 Industrial 18.0 4.1 Institutional 0.5 0.1 Stand Posts 1.0 0.2

Total 440 100 ..

Source: C1ty Corporate Plan (2002-2007), Surat Mumc1pal Corporation (SMC)

2.4.2 Sources of Water Supply

The city uses both surface and ground water. The major contribution of 98 % is

from the surface water drawn from river Tapi, in the total water supply. Since the water

from river Tapi is not sufficient to meet the increasing demand of the city, tapping of

ground water through bore wells owned by both SMC and private individuals is a common

practice.

2.4.2.1 Surface Water Resources

To harness Tapi river, the main source of water for the city, a weir at Kakrapar in

the lower basin and the Ukai dam on the upper basin were constructed in the years 1954

and 1972 respectively. Ukai dam is situated about 100 Km upstream of the city of Surat.

Electricity Boards and Irrigation Authorities regulate the release from the barrage. The

water released from Ukai dam is drawn at Varachha Water Works and Sarthana Water

Works for treatment. There are two major water works on the bank of Tapi at Varachha

and Sarthana. Besides, there are two other water works located at Katargam and Rander

(Table 2.12).

Table: 2.12 Break-Up of Current Yield of the Water from Different System

WaterWorks Present Yield (in MLD) (1) V arachha Water Works 60 (2) Sarthana Water Works 160 (3) Katargam Water Works 180 ( 4) Rander Water Works 130

Total Present Yield 530 .. Source: Hydraulic Department, Surat Mumcipal Corporation (SMC), 2004-2005

74

Tapi meets the Arabian Sea at a distance of about 22 Kms. from the city. The

effect of the high tide is observed up to about 30 Kms. from the mouth of the river. A

weir at Singanpor has been recently constructed to prevent seawater intrusion into the river

and to create a pondage for ensuring water supply during lean periods.

2.4.2.2 Ground Water Resources

In Chorasi taluka of Surat district, total ground water recharge amounts to 330

MLD, out ofwhich allocation for domestic and industrial requirements is about 50 MLD.

This is far below the city's future requirement. It has been observed that the ground water

level generally fluctuates between monsoon (June to October) and rest of the year.

General rise during monsoon is 2-5 m. below ground level. For rest of the year it goes

down below 5 meters and up to I 0 meters at some locations. Water table in the city which

was 18 meters below ground level in 1991 has gone down to 20 meters in 2000.

Total number of Tube wells in the city is 41. At Sarthana Water Works, there are

25 tube wells, out of which 5 are out of order on a permanent basis due to intolerable

sand/gravel contents in the outflow. The average yield from both the sources (surface and

ground) is about 70 percent of the installed capacity. The main reason for the reduced

yield appears to be reduction in the flow in Tapi River after the construction of Singanpore

wetr.

2.4.3 Treatment and Quality Control

The treatment of water in Surat is carried out at four places, vtz. Varachha,

Sarthana, Katargam and Rander Water Works. At Varachha, there were three water

treatment plants (WTP-I, II & III) initially with a design capacity of 68 MLD in 1997

which was augmented to 115 MLD by 1999-2000 to treat water extracted from the river

Tapi (Table 2.13).

75

Table: 2.13 Water Treatment Facilities in Surat

S.No. WaterWorks Installed Capacity (Treatment Plants) (MLD)

1. Head Water Works, Varachha (I, II & III) 115 2. Sarthana Water works 205 3. Katargam Water Works 240 4. Rander Water Works 200

Total 760 Source: Compiled from the 'City Corporate Plan' and the mformatwn avmlable on Site

www.suratmunicipal.org

Water treatment plants m Surat consist of units like Stilling Chamber, Partial

Flume, Flash Mixer, Sludge Blanket Lamella clarifier, rapid gravity sand filter beds with

false floor slab having PP nozzles and pneumatically operated va]ve arrangements,

chemical house with chemical storage and dosing facilities, backwash tank and clear water

sump etc. 10 All the controls of valves, motors & flow measurements of these semi­

automatic plants are carried out from the control panel located in control room of the

plant. The water treatment capacity at Rander, recently inaugurated, is 200 MLD. This

plant is entirely automated and operated from a control room through remote control.

Treatment is done through standard method (Fig. 2.1)

Under the Water Supply Monitoring Mechanism, hourly check for turbidity,

residual chlorine content is done at the source. Chemical and bacterial check is done on

daily basis. At intermediate level, residual chlorine test is done daily. Finally at the

consumer end the residual chlorine content check and bacterial check are done as per need

in each supply area (Table: 2.14).

Table: 2.14 Water Quality Monitoring

Stage Type of Test Frequency Source • Turbidity & Residual Chlorine Hourly

• Chemical & Bacteriological tests Daily Intermediate Residual Chlorine Daily Consumer end + Residual Chlorine Daily 1000 samples

+ Chemical & Bacteriological test 35 samples (Minimum) ..

Source: www.suratmumcipal.org

10 y.,rww.suratmunicipal.org/hydraulic/main.htm

76

2.4.4 Storage, Transmission and Distribution

Water from Sarthana is transmitted to the underground sumps at Varachha. The

water from the surface water treatment plants and tube wells at Varachha is also stored in

the underground sumps. A jack well at Varachha receives water from the infiltration

wells. Water from the jack well and underground tank then is pumped into three overhead

tanks at Varachha. From the overhead tanks water is transmitted to different Distribution

Stations. The total length of Distribution Network Pipelines (75 to 900 mm) is about 2200

Km. while total length ofTransmission Pipelines (900 to 1626 mm) is 140 Km.

A total storage capacity of 308.25 million litres is available in Surat in the form of

underground sumps and overhead service reservoirs at various water works and other

distribution stations. There are a total of 21 underground storage reservoirs with a total

capacity of 301.5 million litres. Besides, a storage capacity of about 7 million litres is in

the fonn of overhead tanks and surface reservoirs (Table: 2.15). The storage capacity

adequacy of all the water distribution stations to the total water supply is 65.94 percent.

Due to a large number of zones, each zone is served from more than one station and the

supply frequency is staggered. The supply is for 2-4 hours daily. Different Water Zones

are supplied at different times of the day (see also Appendix-II for details). Water is also

supplied by tankers from Khatodra distribution station. Main areas to which these tankers

are frequently directed include- Udhna, Bhestan, Limbayat and Ved Road.

Table: 2.15 Storage Capacity at Distribution Station (in million litres)

Sr.No. Location Total Capacity 1. Khatodara 47.25 2. Umarwada 36.00 3. Katargam 47.25 4. Althan 11.25 5. Athwa 31.50 6. Udhna 22.50 7. Dumb hal 22.50 8. Pandesara 45.00 9. Joganinagar 45.00

Total 308.25 .. Source: SuratMumc1pal CorporatiOn (SMC), 2004-2005

77

The total number of water connections reported by SMC is 2, 57,000. Except a

few connections all are un-metered connections and about 99 percent of the connections

are for domestic water supply. About 4000 new connections are given every year.

2.4.5 Future Water Supply Planning and Management in Surat

According to the 'Water Supply Master Plan' of SMC (under 'Vision-2020-21 '),

the overall raw water demand for the city and the surrounding areas likely to be added to

the city limits for the year 2011 and 2021 is 1030 MLD and 1420 MLD respectively (see

Table: 2.16).

The city of Surat is developing at a rapid pace and the population is expected to

reach about 4.3 million by the year 2020. In 1995, Surat Municipal Corporation prepared

a long-term Master Plan for a period of 25 years for the water supply scheme of Surat city

in consultation with Tata Consulting Engineers, Mumbai. The Master Plan was prepared

to fulfil the water demand for the projected population growth for the horizon year 2021,

considering the base year as 1995. The purpose of the implementation of the water supply

scheme was to supply adequate quantity of potable water with sufficient pressure to every

citizen through piped network with the present area of 112.28 sq km. The projected water

demand for the year 2011 and 2021 is 1000 MLD and 1300 MLD respectively. If the

surrounding areas of Pal, Pisad and Palanpore on the west, Vesu, Rundh, Bamroli and

Bharthana on south-west, Chhaprabhatha, Variav and Amroli on the North, and Sachin,

Magdalla on the south, presently outside the city limits are also considered then the

projected water demand for the entire area for the year 2011 and 2021 will be 1030 and

1420 MLD respectively.

Table: 2.16 Future Water Demands of Surat City

S. No. Year Population in Million* Water Demand in MLD I 2011 3.52 1030 2 2021 4.34 1420

. . . . Source: Surat Mumcipal CorporatiOn (SMC), 2005 m 'VISion-2020-21' Water Master Plan . *Population, as per census 2001 was 2.43 million.

78

2.4.5.1 Source Augmentation

With this growing demand there arises a need for augmenting the sources and

increasing the yield from various water works. While the Rander water works has already

been operational, the capacity of Katargam and Sarthana water works have to be

augmented to 360 MLD and 265 MLD respectively by 2011 and to 564 MLD and 350

MLD respectively by 2021 (Table: 2.17).

Table: 2.17 Capacity Augmentations at Sources (MLD)

WaterWorks Present 2011 2021 Katargam 240 360 564 Varachha 115 115 130 Sarthana 205 265 350 Rander 200 200 240

.. .. Source: Compiled from Surat Mumctpal Corporatwn (SMC), 2005 m 'Vtston-2020-21' Water Master Plan

and 'City CofJ?orate Plan-2002-07

According to the SMC estimate, by 2006-07 the entire population of the city is

expected to be covered with piped water supply. The average gross supply available to the

city population by the year 2006-07 is expected to be 200 lpcd from the present gross

supply of 195 lpcd.

The additional demand and the expected increase in yield have to be matched with

treatment facilities and storage facilities. According to the Master plan, SMC has already

implemented the project components for the augmentation of source, treatment plant,

underground service reservoir, transmission line and the network of distribution pipelines.

Some changes in original Master Plan were necessitated due to the problem of land

acquisition of required area, laying of transmission pipeline across the thickly populated

area and quality of raw water available at source etc.

As a part of this long term Master Plan for the water supply scheme for Surat city,

Phase-I (i.e. up to year 2001) has already been completed. A part ofPhase-II (i.e. up to

year 2011) is also going to be completed successfully well before the targeted time, to

achieve the goal of 100% coverage of area and population of the city.

79

2.5 THE WATER SUPPLY SERVICE: DELHI AND SURA T COMPARED

The quality of water supply service in Delhi and Surat has been compared in terms

of parameters like supply coverage (geographical area as well as population served),

duration of supply, installed capacity of the system, gross supply in lpcd, total number of

connections and coverage of slum and squatter settlements etc. Table 2.18 gives this

information in a comparable format.

Table: 2.18 Status of Water Supply in Delhi and Surat: At a Glance

Parameters Delhi Surat Total population (in million) · 13.87 (0.9 m Rural) 2.43 Area covered by piped water supply (in NA 97 %) Population coverage by piped water 50 95 (house connections in%) (1.35 out of2.7 million

HH) Duration of supply (in hours) 3-4 2-3 Total supply installed capacity (ground 650MGD 150MGD +surface) Total average water supplied at present 670MGD 118 MGD Gross lpcd supplied (gross population) 218 (50 gallons) 195 (43 gallons) Total Length of Distribution and 9000Km 2340Km Transmission Pipelines Total Nos. of Water Connections: (All 1.35 million 0.26 million sizes) Proportion of Domestic/Non-domestic 90/10 94/6 connections Coverage in Slums (in%) NA 81

2.6 CONCLUSIONS

In this chapter an attempt has been made to understand the gravity of the situation

of urban water supply, first around the world, in India and then the existing status of the

service in Delhi and Surat. At international level, the situation is pathetic in sub-Saharan

Africa but state of affairs is not better in India either. International community has

responded positively to the impending crisis specially in creating awareness about the

environmental concerns for water. Water supply in NCT of Delhi at present is inadequate.

Every year various parts of Delhi face water scarcity. Delhi is dependent for raw water

from distant sources and augmentation of raw water for Delhi still remains an unresolved

80

issue because of the ever increasing population of the metropolis. The ground water table

has gone down drastically and already overexploitation has been taking place to meet the

present water demand and supply gap. On the other hand, in Surat, Tapi river remains the

sole source of raw water, which is a serious matter considering the steadily growing

demand for it. Unregulated ground water extraction by SMC as well as private individuals

is another serious issue in the city. Some of the most striking issues related to various

aspects of the service in the capital and in Surat have been presented in the following

section. Our analysis shows that in Surat the emphasis is on the coverage, while in Delhi

the quantity requirement is being emphasised in various related documents. CPHEEO's

norms for the Metropolitan cities for all purposes is 274 lpcd on which basis demand and

supply of water for Delhi has been calculated while for Surat demand and supply is

calculated at the rate of 172 lpcd (which is only for the domestic consumption as per the

CPHEEO norm).

Deteriorate

The detailed analysis of all aspects of water supply service in Delhi and Surat has

made possible for us to find a number of emerging issues with possible environmental

implications and the same are being indicated in the following section.

2.6.1 Water Supply Service in Delhi

• Fast polluting Yamuna river is the single largest source of water for treatment

plants in Delhi contributing about 53 percent oftotal treated water. Worsening

environmental health of the river and heavy dependence for such a vital

resource on it has been a major challenge city managers and environmentalists

smce many years.

• Officially 13% of the water treated and supplied by DJB is drawn from already

depleting underground sources. According to some estimates the contribution

of groundwater to total consumption actually is 50 percent. High pressure on

underground water has resulted in lowering of water table to such an extent that

other environmental problems like salinity and contaminations are reported

from different parts of the city and around.

81

• DJB has successfully augmented treating facility from 650 to 845 MGD, but its

WTPs are either underutilised as in case of Nangloi WTP or yet to be

functional as Sonia Vihar WTP for want of raw water. Making raw water

available to these WTPs as per their capacity is a simple management issue.

• Past experience shows that the arrangement of raw water to meet the existing

gap and future demand is a tricky issue because several governmental agencies

and States are involved.

• There is a large gap between demand and supply of treated water in Delhi.

Demand was estimated to be 945 MGD way back in 2002 and DJB till 2005,

could augment its system for an installed capacity of 650 MGD only. This

huge gap is only increasing which is an issue of prime importance to be tackled

at the earliest.

• Water supply to different parts of the city is highly unequal. A per capita

production of 232 lpcd and supply of 218 lpcd is fairly good but households

covered under the piped supply are still limited to 50 percent. Further,

distribution of the same to different parts of the city is not uniform and is

skewed in favour of privileged pockets. For example, NDMC/DCB area gets

450 lpcd while unauthorised c-olonies and squatter settlements get as low as 35

lpcd. Consequently, huge population is dependant on only 18,000 community

taps and a large number of unlicensed private pumps putting pressure on

already falling water table.

• Primary survey, irrespective of socio-economic profile of the communities,

shows low pressure, erratic supply, and low quality of water. It has also been

observed that the DJB tanker service is not sufficient and there is a bias against

new and unauthorized colonies. It is learnt that corruption is rampant in the

tanker service.

• DJB, on an average takes two hundred samples of water supplied by it from

different points of the system for testing to check water quality which,

considering the geographical spread of the city and size of the system seems to

be insufficient. Independent test findings are conflicting with that of the DJB's

test results.

82

2.6.2 Water Supply Service in Surat

• Major source of water for Surat city is Tapi river accounting for about 98

percent of total supply. Since Tapi water is not sufficient enough to cater to the

existing and future demands, dependence on groundwater is increasing which

may lead to many environmental problems. Wells are owned by both SMC as

well as private individuals, so over extraction of groundwater is a cause of

concern for already depleting water table which has gone below 20 meter in the

city.

• Presently SMC supplies a total of 530 MLD at the rate of 195 lpcd against a

supply capacity of its system for 673 MLD shows relatively better water supply

infrastructure in Surat.

• Treatment facility is reported to be sufficient with installed capacity of 760

MLD as against supply capacity of 673 MLD. The water treatment

infrastructure at Rander is new and fully 'Automated'.

• The bulk of water supply goes to the domestic sector accounting for 94% of

total supply. Each zone is served from more than one pumping stations and

. supply frequency is staggered. Unlike Delhi, there is a daily supply of 2-3

hours at a pre-decided time necessitating storage capacity at household level.

Residents of the city particularly from low income localities, face difficulties

due to fixed timing and lack of storage capacity at home.

• SMC is credited to have achieved a relatively more equitable coverage of the

communities of different socio-economic profile. About 81 percent of slums

are reported to be covered under piped supply.

• SMC has a highly efficient system of quality check. A sample size of 1000 is

taken for the purpose at the consumer end. It was also observed that awareness

level people about quality of water is relatively high in Surat city.