500 water ATMS proposed in city

, July 18: With an aim of providing drinking

at an affordable price in parched areas of the city, Government today proposed to set up 500 water ATMS in the national capital.

"About 500 ATMs supported with ground water/tanker services will be set up in 2014-15," Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said while presenting the Delhi Budget. There are many parts in the National Capital Territory which do not have drinking water facilities.

"To provide drinking water facilities at an affordable price in water deficient areas, small sized decentralised drinking water Reverse Osmosis (RO) based plants will be set up and drinking water will be made available through water ATMs," he said.

Jaitley said the government has allocated Rs 1,249 crore for water supply in the Delhi budget. However, the budget does not speak of any subsidy on water, like the one extended by the previous AAP-led government. The minister, while presenting the Union Budget last week, has already announced Rs 50 crore for the construction of Renuka Dam to end the water woes of national capital.

He had also announced Rs 500 crore for water reforms for the national capital in the Union Budget.

"We will work to make the pucca channel from Munak to Haiderpur functional after resolving long pending issues with the Haryana government. This will make available 80 MGD raw water for newly constructed water treatment plants in Dwarka (40 MGS), Okhla (20 MGD) and Bawana (20 MGD) for population of about 35 lakh living in South, South-west, West and North-west parts of Delhi," the Union Minister said.

In addition to this, the capacity of present water treatment plant and distribution system will be improved. "This programme includes complete renovation and modernisation of Chandrawal Water Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs 2018 crore and Wazirabad Water Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs 2243 crore under externally aided projects to be partly funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency and ADB respectively," Jaitely said.

PTI