The Delhi government has commissioned a study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee to assess the water requirement of the city to renegotiate the 1994 Yamuna water sharing agreement between North Indian states, said officials in Tuesday.
A senior DJB official said that the experts from IIT will guide Delhi in assessing its current water requirements based on increased population over the last three decades along with other non-domestic uses. “The three-decade old agreement regarding the sharing of Yamuna water signed between Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh has now expired. Consequently, a fresh allocation is now required. We have asked IIT Roorkee to assess the demand for additional water based on its current population. Furthermore, they have been asked to provide recommendations regarding the specific channels or routes through which this water should be conveyed to Delhi, should the new agreement grant the city an increased share,” a DJB official said.
According to the DJB, the per capita water requirement in Delhi is approximately 272 liters per day (LPCD)—a figure that stands higher than that of other major metropolitan cities. Currently, Delhi’s population hovers around 25,000,000. Based on this calculation, the daily water supply in Delhi ought to be in the vicinity of 1,300 million gallons per day (MGD). However, the actual supply stands at 1,000 MGD. Consequently, the city faces a significant water deficit, amounting to a shortage of approximately 22–23%.
“By 2031, the demand for water is projected to rise to around 1,746 MGD. To meet both current and future water requirements, Delhi intends to present a fresh demand for water during the upcoming negotiations on the Yamuna water-sharing agreement, which is scheduled to take place over the next year,” another official said.
According to officials, the experts have also been tasked with determining whether the construction of a new canal is necessary or if the water can be conveyed through existing or new pipelines. “Munak Canal is already receiving water at its full capacity. It is simply not possible for the Munak Canal to carry any additional water. Therefore, it will be necessary to construct a new channel. When Renukaji Dam is completed in 2031, we might need additional canals,” official said.
In May 1994, an agreement regarding the sharing of Yamuna river water was reached among five states: Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh. Under this agreement, the water was allocated based on a total annual flow of 11.48 BCM (billion cubic meters). Delhi was allocated a share of 0.724 BCM of water for drinking purposes, which constitutes 6.3 percent of the total water flow. Haryana received the largest share—35.1 percent of the total flow.