Water crisis in Delhi prompts govt to impose fine to curb wastage

After Bengaluru’s water crisis in March this year, the national capital, is facing scarcity of water which has prompted the Delhi government to impose fine on water-wasting activities like car-washing and over-flowing of water tanks. 

Delhi Water Minister Atishi on May 29 directed the CEO of the Delhi Jal Board to impose a fine of Rs 2,000 for water wastage and has deployed 200 teams across the city starting May 30 to identify and penalize anyone in the city found wasting water.

Delhi has a daily water demand of 1,290 (Million Gallons Per Day) MGD, of which the DJB currently produces 1,000 MGD. 

The fine will be imposed for washing of cars with pipes, overflowing water tanks and use of domestic water for construction and commercial purposes, according to an official statement.

These teams would not just impose fines on anyone found wasting water but would also disconnect any illegal water connections on construction sites or commercial establishments.

Earlier, Atishi accused Haryana of not releasing Delhi's share of water since May 1 and said the government will be implementing a slew of measures including rationalising supply of water in the national capital.

She stressed on the need of water conservation as there is an "acute heat wave" condition in the national capital and there is a shortage of water supply since Haryana is not releasing Delhi's share of water.

In March, Bengaluru had banned the usage of potable water for car wash, gardening, and similar activities and had imposed Rs 5,000 fine on those flouting the rules.

India’s Silicon Valley with its 1.3 crore population, faced a shortfall of over 1,500 (Million Liters Per Day) MLD in its daily water needs, which ranges between 2,600-2,800 MLD.

This summer, Gurugram Municipal Corporation has also imposed a stringent regulation on washing cars with drinking water imposing a fine of upto Rs 5000 on anyone caught washing the cars between 5 AM and 9 AM.

India has about 18% of the world’s population, but has only 4% of its water resources, making it one of the most water-stressed countries in the world.

According to a 2018 Composite Water Management Index report by NITI Aayog, 600 million people in India experience high to extreme water stress, and inadequate access to safe water is estimated to cause 200,000 deaths annually.

Yale University’s 2022 unsafe drinking water index ranked India at 141 out of 180 countries. With nearly 70% of India’s water being in contaminated state, by 2030, its water demand is projected to be double the amount available as mentioned by the Interconnected Disaster Risks Report in October 2023.