water security for gurgaon

An interesting press release from the public relations department Haryana caught my eye regarding water security in gurgaon.

“ The Chief Secretary directed the Deputy Commissioners of both Gurgaon and Jhajjar districts to ensure that water supply in Gurgaon water channel be not disrupted. He asked the Gurgaon DC to prepare a contingency plan for meeting out the water crisis, in case the channel was breached as it was done in last March and Gurgaon faced a severe water crisis.
The Deputy Commissioner Gurgaon apprised the Chief Secretary that the water treatment plant at Basai was being augmented by HUDA at the cost of Rs. 13.84 crore and the work would be completed by February next year. After the augmentation, the Basai plant will able to treat 60 MGD raw water. However the water storage capacity today is sufficient for four days. An additional water works was proposed on 133 acre land of village Chandu-Budhera, costing Rs. 86 crore. The process of acquiring land for this new water works was going on. After the completion of this water works the storage capacity would be enhanced to ten days. Also a NCR Channel was under construction at a cost of Rs. 322 crore from which Gurgaon would get 800 Cusec of water plus a Rs.. 65 crore project was also prepared for providing canal based drinking water in Sohna.

So what is the cost of the above PROPOSED works rs 13.84cr for augmentation + rs 86 cr for additional water works + rs 322 cr for ncr channel + rs 65 cr for canal from sohna = Rs 486.84 cr.

1. does rs 486.84 cr provide a water security? I don’t think so
2. where does water come for the additional water works? From the gurgaon canal which comes from jhajjar district which was breeched by villagers this march, so there is no security surely.
3. where does ncr canal get the water? 800cusec is the rate of flow, what quantity of water is assured and where will it be treated is not known. And if 800 cusec is the rate of flow would this canal not supply water to other areas besides gurgaon?
4. where is the water coming from sohna? Mewat district does not have water and is just 20kms from sohna and we are getting a canal to gurgaon.

If somebody in the system tried a little common sense then with 1/10th the cost we can harvest a huge amount of rain water. ( rough calculations tell me that 34million cum of rainwater goes via sewage into the najafgarh drain from gurgaon). We can even harvest the najafgarh flood plain or the najafgarh jheel.(part of this lies inside gurgaon district).

But then government works on grandiose schemes and proposals. Common sense is not a very valued item as it does not raise eyebrows or fills pockets as rs 486.84 cr does.