With Delhi facing an acute shortage of water, experts have suggested mixing saline water, abundantly available in several parts of the city, with fresh water to tide over the increasing gap between demand and supply.
With Delhi facing an acute shortage of water, experts have suggested mixing saline water, abundantly available in several parts of the city, with fresh water to tide over the increasing gap between demand and supply.
According to rough estimates, the national capital requires 3,324 million liters of water a day (MLD), while the supply is nearly 2,034 MLD. Average water consumption in Delhi is estimated at 240 liters per capita per day (lpcd), the highest in the country.
Delhi receives its water mainly from river Yamuna, rains, Bhakra storage and Upper Ganga Canal.
According to the latest report of Central Ground Water Board on the state of ground water in various Indian cities, ground water exploitation has not only resulted in depletion of fresh ground water resources but also gradual "invasion" of brackish water (that has more salinity than fresh water but not as much as sea water) into fresh water aquifers.
"Thus it has become eminent to explore the brackish water areas located within shallow or water-logged areas to promote the scientific management and proper planning for exploitation of brackish water which is the only effective controlling method of spreading brackish water front," the report says.
At present about 670sq km of area in the NCT region has brackish water at shallow depth which can be developed to use for domestic purposes other than drinking.
"Development of brackish water aquifers will yield about 80 million gallons daily (MGD) of water," it says adding that such type of water can be used by providing dual water supply system where the same pipeline can be used to supply fresh water as well as saline water for domestic uses at pre-determined hours of supply.
The brackish water can also be mixed with fresh water to bring the elements under permissible limits as per drinking water standards, it says.
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