Damage to India canal highlights Delhi water vulnerability

More than 10 million people in Delhi India’s capital, lost their water supply over the weekend.

Traffic on Ambala-Pipli route had been restored and State Roadways was also plying buses on the route, but beyond that movement on the Pipli-Karnal-Sonipat-Delhi National Highway was yet to be restored, officials said.

Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted that the retaking of the canal was a “great relief” to the city.

The Munak canal supplies around three-fifths of water to Delhi’s 16 million residents.

Rohtak and some other places remained tense due to fresh incidents on Monday.

Earlier, uncertainty prevailed over the fate of the ongoing Jat agitation for reservation as the protesters continued blockades and protests at various places.

Shops were again torched on Sunday and protesters carrying weapons rampaged in the streets despite the extra troops, many of whom were airlifted into the state to try to quell the violence. “We will get it probed”, said Khattar.

Speaking to mediapersons after the cabinet meeting, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ram Bilas Sharma said the government would bring a Bill in coming Assembly session to give reservation to Jats.

Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra warned that supplies to the city would remain limited until the Munak canal was repaired, a process that could take up to two weeks.

The chief minister said that the role of officers, especially from the police, would be probed and strict action taken if they were found wanting in carrying out their duties during the agitation.

Thousands of people and vehicles were stranded on NH-1 as the protesters laid siege to the highway in Sonipat and Panipat districts in the past three days, cutting off road connectivity to Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Chandigarh through the highway.

AUTHORITIES in India’s Haryana state began lifting curfews yesterday and protesters gradually removed roadblocks after more than a dozen people died in clashes during Jat community demonstrations demanding government benefits.

One of India’s largest carmakers, Maruti Suzuki, suspended operations at its two Haryana plants after the protests disrupted supplies of components. Curfew was lifted in Hisar and Hansi towns on Monday, officials said.

“Most of the road links have been restored in the state and we hope to be in control of the situation by the end of the day”, said Das.