. 24/7 Space News .
WATER WORLD
Delhi warns water crisis could run for another 15 days
By Jalees ANDRABI
New Delhi (AFP) Feb 23, 2016


A water crisis in India's capital will take up to two weeks to fix, authorities warned Tuesday as taps ran dry, days after protesters sabotaged a canal to demand better treatment for their caste.

Jat caste groups called off their protests on Monday after the government in the northern state of Haryana accepted their demands following days of riots, arson and looting that saw thousands of troops deployed.

New Delhi's water board was battling to restore full supplies to the city of 17 million people which relies heavily on the canal running through neighbouring Haryana.

Water trucks fanned out across the teeming city, with many households without a regular water supply four days after the canal was badly damaged.

Delhi Water Minister Kapil Mishra tweeted that tap water was being restored in parts of north, central and Old Delhi on Monday evening.

"Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) most areas to get piped supply...supply limited till canal repaired," Mishra said.

"Delhi Jal Board (Delhi Water Board) team already at site of damaged canal. Two heavy earth moving machines (of the board) at site along with senior engineers," he added.

But with just four of the city's nine water treatment plants operating, rationing of supplies to many areas was continuing.

"We are hoping to restore partial services in the next two to three days and 100 percent supply within next 15 days," said senior water board official Neeraj Semwal.

"North, west and south Delhi districts were severely affected by the water shortage with thousands of households not getting regular water supplies."

India sent troops to secure the canal after protesters, demanding a quota for their Jat caste in public service jobs and higher education, seized it on Saturday and diverted the water flow away from the capital.

Although schools and many businesses reopened Tuesday as supplies were partially restored, many were still suffering after the water board said it had been forced to limit supplies.

- 'Never imagined such problems' -

Retired journalist K. Jagannadha Rao said he and his neighbours scrambled to fill as many buckets and drums as they could after waiting 24 hours for a tanker to arrive.

"We have been having a lot of problems with the piped supply for the last three days. There are 110 flats in our complex and everyone has been facing problems," the 73-year-old told AFP.

"We never imagined we would have to face such problems."

About 400 million gallons were being produced after the attack compared to the usual 820 million gallons a day, according to local media.

Many neighbourhoods have supplies piped to their homes, while others still rely solely on tankers to deliver water for cooking and washing.

The crisis has underscored the vulnerability of the Indian capital, which receives little rain for much of the year and has long struggled to provide enough water for its rapidly growing population.

Thousands of troops were deployed to Haryana on Saturday with orders to shoot on sight after week-long protests by members of the caste turned violent, with rioters setting fire to homes and railway stations and blocking highways.

The protests eased on Sunday, after Haryana's government agreed to the Jats' demand for preferential access to sought-after government jobs and university places under India's caste-based quota system.

Curfews have now been lifted in most areas, but some areas remain under a security lockdown.

The Jat caste is the single biggest community in Haryana state, with nearly eight million members.

Many are farmers who have suffered in recent years from falling crop prices and drought, and say their children are facing bleak futures.

India's centuries-old caste system, which divides people into four main classes, has been officially abolished but it still prevails and it remains a hugely contentious issue.

The relatively well-off Patel caste of traders and farmers staged violent protests last year in the western state of Gujarat, with similar demands.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
WATER WORLD
How climate change will affect western groundwater
Tucson AZ (SPX) Feb 18, 2016
By 2050 climate change will increase the groundwater deficit even more for four economically important aquifers in the western U.S., reports a University of Arizona-led team of scientists. The new report is the first to integrate scientists' knowledge about groundwater in the U.S. West with scientific models that show how climate change will affect the region. "We wanted to know, 'What are ... read more


WATER WORLD
NASA chooses ASU to design and operate special satellite

Chinese scientists invent leak detection system for moon exploration

Aldrin recounts successes and challenges of historic space journey

Edgar Mitchell, astronaut who walked on Moon, dead at 85

WATER WORLD
Russia plans return to Mars, Moon despite money woes

NASA to simulate growing potatoes on Mars in Peru

Somewhere between Earth and Mars Science Fiction Became Science Fact

Becoming a Martian

WATER WORLD
Visions of the future unleashed at TED

Engineer Makes Sure Commercial Crew Craft Will Make Smooth Landing

Flowering Zinnias set stage for deep-space food crop research

Practical Advice for Aspiring Space Explorers

WATER WORLD
China Conducts Final Tests on Most Powerful Homegrown Rocket

Last Launch for Long March 2F/G

China aims for the Moon with new rockets

China shoots for first landing on far side of the moon

WATER WORLD
Black Mold Found in Cargo Prepared for ISS, Resupply Mission Delayed

Putting the Public in the Shoes of Space Station Science

Russians spacewalk to retrieve biological samples

Russia to Deliver Three Advanced Spacesuits to ISS in 2016

WATER WORLD
JAXA Launches X-ray Astronomy Satellite

ULA Launches NROL-45 Payload for the National Reconnaissance Office

SES-9 Launch Targeting Late February

Spaceflight Awarded First GSA Schedule Contract for Satellite Launch Services

WATER WORLD
Astronomers take images of an exoplanet changing over time

First detection of super-earth atmosphere

Hubble Directly Measures Rotation of Cloudy 'Super-Jupiter'

Volcanoes Light Up Atmospheres of Small Exoplanets

WATER WORLD
Study shows dried plums provide protection from bone loss due to radiation

Real or virtual - can we tell the difference

Nebraska researcher finds gold - and other metals

Shaping crystals with the flow









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.