Water shortage hits Agra, activists demand cleaning of Yamuna

With the Yamuna totally dry and a fast depleting water table, the citizens of Agra are facing an acute water shortage.

Against a demand of 400 MLD, the current water supply is only around 250 MLD and the Mayor, Navin Jain, who heads the Jal Sansthan, has stepped up efforts to stop wastage of water and ensure operational efficiency of the pumping stations.

Citizens' protests, demanding more water, have become an everyday affair.

"Those living in the distant colonies are hard hit. In some areas, the groundwater level has fallen below 200 feet. The hand-pumps are also not working," Megh Singh, a lawyer living in the Avas Vikas Colony, told PTI.

Local MLA Yogendra Upadhyaya said, "We are trying to speed up the Ganga Jal project. The committee appointed by the Supreme Court has been handed over all the documents related to the project and we expect a clearance very soon."