'Unauthorised' laying of new pipelines cannot be allowed, says gas regulator. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) seems to be heading for a collision with the gas distribution companies that it is supposed to regulate. According to the gas regulator, no company can build or expand a gas distribution network without the permission of the PNGRB. However, leading gas distribtion companies are laying new pipelines every day without its permission. "Permissions are not needed for each locality separately. We have the permission to operate in Delhi and the city is one geographical area,' said Om Narayan, managing director of Indraprastha Gas Ltd (IGL), which retails gas to households and vehicles in Delhi. The regulator, in October last year, had pulled up IGL for expanding its pipeline network to the city's Vasant Vihar area without seeking its permission. The company, however, continues to expand, with it now laying pipelines in Vasant Kunj. A host of other companies already in the business are also expanding their network "in order to meet consumer demand'. Maharashtra Natural Gas Ltd, for instance, which distributes gas in Pune, is also on an expansion spree, without an express "permission' from the regulator. "The ruling does not apply to us,' says TK Majumder, managing director of the company. All of these companies started operations before the regulator formally came into being on October 1, 2007. Their city of operation was chosen for them by the petroleum ministry after directions came from the Supreme Court. The regulator is planning strict action against these companies. "We have issued notices to all of these companies. Strict action will be taken against these companies which are expanding their network without our permission,' said a member of the regulatory board. According to the regulator, existing city gas distributors will have to reapply to the regulator for "authorisation' to operate and expand in their cities. The deadline for reapplying is March 31. "It appears that almost all entities which are in business are without authorisation,' said PNGRB chairman, L Mansingh. The companies say they are expanding despite the regulator's directive as the demand for gas in cities is continuously growing. "Even the state government officials keep urging to speed up our expansion,' said SP Selvam, managing director of Central UP Gas Ltd, which distributes gas in cities such as Kanpur and Bareilli, and is planning to spread to Allahabad and Varanasi. "We cannot wait for permission,' IGL's Narayan said. THE MISSING SECTION 16 The crux of the problem lies in interpretation of the powers of the regulatory board, which was notified on October 1, 2007, after the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act was passed in Parliament in 2006. The government, however, has not yet notified Section 16 of the Act, which deals with companies which already have city gas distribution operations. "Since Section 16 is not notified, the regulator has no way to deal with existing companies,' the chief of another existing city gas distribution company said. A regulatory board member however reads the issue differently. "In the absence of the Section, there is no directive on the working of the existing companies. So, all incremental works by the companies will need approvals,' the official said. Some companies are keen to eschew a fight with the regulator. A Vishwanadha Sarma, managing director of Bhayanagar Gas Ltd, which distributes gas in Vijaywada and Hyderabad, is one of them. "We are not expanding at all till there are directives from the regulator, which are likely to come once the final city gas regulations are notified (by mid-March 2008),' he said. "It is no point locking horns with the regulator.'

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Haryana continues to withhold city's share of drinking water Water production in two of the Capital's water treatment plants has also come down "We are hoping the CWC will get Haryana to release more water to our demand' NEW DELHI: There is no let-up in Delhi's water crisis as Haryana continues to withhold the city's share of drinking water. The water production in two of the Capital's water treatment plants has also come down, affecting large parts of North and Central Delhi. While production at Chandrawal on Monday came down by 30 per cent, the reduction at Wazirabad is almost 50 per cent. "Despite our repeated reminders and requests, Haryana has refused to release our full share of water. We have reduced water production at both the plants to maintain the critical pond level at Wazirabad,' said a Delhi Jal Board official. He said the Board had again urged the Central Water Commission to intervene. "We are hoping the CWC will get Haryana to release more water to meet our drinking water needs.' In the absence of the required quantum of water, several parts of the NDMC area including residences of VIPs and some parts of North Delhi including Model Town, Civil Lines and Kingsway Camp have been experiencing water shortage. Referring to the water crisis, Jal Board's Chief Executive Officer Arun Mathur said: "Even if Haryana is getting less water from Bhakra Beas Management Board, it cannot arbitrarily cut Delhi's share. The water sharing agreement does not give them the discretion to reduce the quantity meant for the Capital.' He said taking note of the impending summer, the Board is prepared to bring the issue to the notice of the "highest authorities' and the Chief Minister too has expressed concern over Haryana's refusal to stick to the water sharing agreement. "The Chief Minister has made it clear that the issue will be taken to the highest levels. She said the Delhi Government would do whatever is required to secure Delhi's share from the Yamuna waters,' Mr. Mathur added.

The water crisis that has been plaguing the Capital since last Friday is threatening to get worse. Several parts of north, northwest Delhi and NDMC areas have been getting a highly erratic supply and authorities see no respite from the situation till the end of this week at least. The matter has been taken to the Upper Yamuna River Board and chief minister Sheila Dikshit will take up the issue with authorities concerned if the situation doesn't improve soon. The 120 million gallon per day (MGD) Wazirabad plant and the 90 MGD Chandrawal plant are working to only about 70% of their capacity as Haryana, claim Delhi Jal Board officials, has reduced supply to the Capital from 300 MGD to about 250 MGD.

Despite much talk of Delhi making the transition from

The health ministry is planning an emergency mop-up operation that will vaccinate three lakh children living in and around Kirti Nagar against polio to contain further spread of the deadly P1 strain of the virus in Delhi. The decision was taken after the country's first PI strain of wild polio virus sprung up this year from Darbangia Colony in Kirti Nagar. Since this is the first P1 polio case in Delhi after August 2006, which had made officials declare the city free of the virus last year, shocked state polio eradication experts have now identified 2,500 high risk clusters, mostly occupied by migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar

The Delhi government is planning to go to the Supreme Court to seek a direction to the Haryana government for releasing adequate water from Tajewala so that the Yamuna reaches an optimum level in the national Capital. Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said that neighbouring state governments were aware of Delhi's problem. Thousands of people come from various states. There is pressure of civic amenities and water supply of the Capital. Still some times Uttar Pradesh reduces water supply to Sonia Vihar and some times Haryana. Now the government will approach the Supreme Court to get its share of water, she said. Two water treatment plants

Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today said her government would soon provide better sewer facilities to about 200 villages in the Capital. Dikshit, who is also the Chairperson of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), said the jal board would build 58 underground reservoirs, including 28 in east Delhi, in the Capital by 2009. The Chief Minister, who was laying the foundation stone for a 58 lakh litre capacity underground reservoir at Narela in west Delhi, said the DJB has commissioned a city-wide study, which has created a workable model to commission 109 reservoirs by 2011. "The total cost of construction of the reservoir is about Rs 782 lakh and this work is likely to be completed in 12 months. The reservoirs will improve availability and ensure pressure of water in various parts of Delhi,' Dikshit said. The reservoir would get water from Ranney wells and tube wells at Palla, jal board officials said. After this reservoir is commissioned, about 1.15 lakh people will benefit with augmented water supply at adequate pressure in Singhola, Singhu, Hamidpur, Bankuli and Khampur, the officials said. "At least 25 underground reservoirs need to be built at various locations to rationalise the distribution of water in north, west, north-west, south-west and central Delhi. The DJB has already approved a scheme at an approximate cost of Rs 263 crore to construct 14 underground reservoirs and Booster Pumping Stations (BPS) at various locations in the Capital,' Dikshit said. East Delhi MP Sandeep Dikshit, local MLA Charan Singh Kandera, Councillor Sharad Chauhan, CEO (DJB) Arun Mathur were also present at the foundation stone laying ceremony.