NEW DELHI: The water scarcity ensued by the unprecedented flood in the city has hit common and elites alike. The days-long battle for potable water became so grave on Sunday that the New Delhi Municipal Corporation ran out of water tankers and had to issue an advisory asking all ministers, MP, foreign embassies, and other VIPs apart from residents living in the Lutyens zone to “minimize” their water usage, officials told this newspaper.
“We have been receiving scores of calls and messages from embassies, ministries and residents of cabinet ministers, urging us to supply water. While we tried to manage all the requests, not all could be accommodated since we have run out of tanks water supply. Hence, an advisory was also issued asking all of them to use water cautiously,” a senior NDMC official said.
“All ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), VIPs, residents, hotel and restaurant owners, Market Traders Associations (MTAs), resident welfare associations (RWAs), as well as private, government, and non-governmental organizations are requested to kindly cooperate with the civic body by minimising their water usage during this critical period,” the advisory issued from NDMC Vice Chairperson Satish Upadhyay to the residents of the area read. Speaking to the newspaper, Upadhyay said that it’s unprecedented times so all have to contribute to sail through the critical period of water scarcity perspective of their stature.
“The water woe has hit everyone equally. There is no supply. Even I’m not spared of this tragic scenario. My inbox and call logs are flooded with requests from all quarters (ministers, embassies, residents etc) to supply water. We are doing best but we should be mindful in such a time,” he added.
Speaking further, the NDMC chief said that he suggested people including VVIPs to change a handful of practices to save water like not splurging it on washing their cars regularly and avoiding watering gardens till the normalcy is returned.
Officials said that the council body, which administers civic services to Lutyens area where the city’s elite reside, gets water supply from four Water Treatment Plants (WTP). Three of them—Wazirabad, Chandrawal and Okhla—got shut on Thursday as they were inundated by Yamuna flood water. The whole area was dependent on the fourth WTP at Palam, which has the smallest share of water distribution and also supplies the water to two key hospitals of the city–AIIMS and Safdatjung.
